In English they call them single vineyards , in Italian Il vigneto but, nowhere does a word which could substitute the French term Cru exists. Giambattista Ugolini chose to write the name of the pertaining Cru on each single label A choice which developed after years of studies of the territory and confrontations with other international oenological cultures . It is Valpolicella that grows richer with the value of uniqueness; a whole divided into smaller selected vineyards, completely different between them, from the exposition, inclination composition and micro-climate.
Burgundy, source of inspiration of the true Cru’s meaning
«It was during a beautiful trip to Burgundy that I was able to verify the inescapable value of the concept of Cru wine – says Giambattista Ugolini – between the vineyards of Gevrey-Chambertin and those of Puligny-Montrachet. I discovered how Valpolicella is, in some ways, able to come close, both physically and geo- morphologically, to the great region of the French Pinot Noir. I started to rethink wines on the basis of a more careful management of the separation of grapes from individual vineyards».
The name on the label is our true added value
«Winemaking grapes from the same vineyard has become the hallmark of our know-how to make wine. A technique developed through the years which allowed us to give a deeper meaning to the value of our territory. To understand these efforts we wanted to write the name of the vineyard labeled and dedicate each vineyard to a different type of wine».
At Tenute Ugolini the is no “basic” wine
«Putting the name of the vineyard is meant, from the beginning, to eliminate the prejudice of simplicity. Too many times we heard people say: this is your basic wine…We eliminated the wrong concept of a wine falling under such definition. Also Pozzetto, Valpolicella Classico DOC, has its great identity and stands as a Cru, with grapes all coming from its extension, in the same way as any Champagne Cru».
Thinking small to produce big
«The narrower is the area of origin of the grape from a single vineyard, the higher the quality and distinguishability of a wine. Because of this we have divided our property into homogeneous vineyards, the Pozzetto at the base of the ancient river’s bed, the Progno of Fumane; the San Michele growing surrounding the villa until the Church; the Monte Solane at the summit of the homonym sunny and windy hill; the Valle Alta,our heroic vineyard hanging on the western slope, always illuminated by the sun rising; the Vigna Lena which rests on the ancient volcanic Fumana».
