Inama Introduces Third Generation of Family Leadership

La famiglia Inama vanta oltre cinquant’anni di attività nell’area del Soave Classico e dei Colli Berici; sessanta ettari vitati che esprimono al meglio l’unicità di questi differenti terroir.

The Inama family can boast more than half a century of producing wines in the zones of Soave Classico and the Colli Berici; sixty hectares under vine that express in all their magnificence the uniqueness of these different terroirs. A profound knowledge of the volcanic soil in the Soave Classico zone, and of that based on limestone and clayey red loam in the region of the Colli Berici has led to a rigorous study of each of their vineyard sites.

With Matteo, Alessio and Luca Inama, we have arrived at the third generation of the family to be actively involved in producing wine. The three young men, basing themselves on the work carried out by their father Stefano and by their grandfather Giuseppe, have introduced constant improvements in both the vineyards and the winery. A solid foundation of tradition, competence and viticulture that respects the balances of nature were the basis for developing ulterior sensitivity. «In the last ten years we have adopted a system of precision viticulture», the three brothers explain. «Each vineyard has been divided up into micro-plots and we have analyzed the composition of their subsoils and the behavior of the vines. In this way we have identified different types of husbandry for obtaining extremely expressive grapes from every tiny area within each vineyard».

A quest for balance and biological complexity represents the fulcrum of the company’s production philosophy. The family’s ethical approach, aimed towards totally sustainable agriculture (eliminating any kind of mowing and of chemical fertilizer, by producing organic compost and using green manuring techniques) has given excellent results over time and has allowed the terrain to become more alive. Ancient methods for working the soil and the use of very light, new tractors have permitted the Inamas to have uncompacted soils, in which an increase in the presence of microflora and microfauna has been registered and the roots of the vines can force their way deep down. Also, a particular pruning system has been chosen that allows the Inamas to keep the older vines – which were planted in the 1960s – healthy. Low yields and an organic / biodynamic approach, combined with intensifying the vineyards’ natural biodiversity, have led to the grapes developing skins that are thicker and richer in aromatic components. That’s why also our white wines undergo a skin- contact maceration up to 12 hours, developing greater complexity and golden color.

«We are seeking to pick the grapes at maximum ripeness, thus reducing varietal and vegetal tastes and giving more space to aromas and flavours that express the region of provenance. The grapes’ varietal notes therefore become of secondary importance, because we have available strong, distinctive characteristics that can be attributed to the terroir, which becomes the absolute protagonist».

Operations in the winery, too, aimed at preserving and highlighting the fruit’s high level of quality, are constantly and obsessively improved. Each lot of grapes is treated in a different manner, in order to give full value to the characteristics of that specific parcel. The final blends are extrapolated from these various small quantities so as to obtain an optimum balance of structure, aromas and enjoyable taste.

Following on in their father’s stylistic wake, the three Inama brothers are now pursuing an absolute culture of excellence, taking meticulous care of every detail of production in order to obtain wines that are extremely precise and display a stunningly harmonious and expressive taste profile.

The “crus” of Soave Classico

The “Red Horizon” in our vineyards on Mount Foscarino; photo by Giò Martorana. The different colors show different degrees of ferrous oxidation of the igneous basalts that are typical of this hill.


THE “CRUS” OF SOAVE CLASSICO: A BRIEF HISTORY OF OUR COMPLEX TERROIR

The historic area of Soave production, referred to by the term “Classico”, is one of the oldest zones under vine in Italy. This region was already noted by the ancient Romans due to its special characteristics: it consists of volcanic hills lying at the foot of the Prealps which, facing South, look down towards the Po Valley.

During 2019, the so-called Additional Geographical Units (i.e., the “Crus” of Soave) were given official status. This is an enormous step forward in a process that aims to leave behind the ghosts of a past spoilt by a quest to standardize production, celebrating instead the many different identities of this historic zone.

As in other top-quality regions such as the Moselle or Burgundy, the various sub-zones and the consequent characteristics of the wines made from them have now been officially recognized and defined from a topological point of view. In our company’s story – which began in the mid-60s with the first parcels of vineyard in what has historically been considered the finest “cru” of the area, Monte Foscarino, before continuing with a second “cru” whose characteristics were very different, but which had enormous potential, called “Carbonare” – we identify completely with a vision of wines that are capable of expressing the differences in a unique, inimitable terroir: Soave Classico.

But how did this area – so rich in history and wines – come to exist?

Taking a walk amid our vine rows in the company of Professor Federico Righetto, we talked in depth about the geological origins that lie behind the great complexity and unique nature of Soave Classico. Below, we summarize and share the notes we took, in the hope that they will be useful to wine lovers and students of our wines alike.

In very ancient times, before the continents drifted apart, our area was covered by a sea (the Tethys Ocean). This was not because the sea was higher than it is now, but because our zone lay below the level of the sea. From the point of view of tectonics (observation of the evolutions in the Earth’s crust: the convective shifts of the planet’s mantle caused the movement of the Earth’s plates), the movements that modified our landscape, as we see it today, took place over the course of hundreds of millions of years. The plates’ rate of movement is very slow: they move around 2 cm a year, so in a thousand years they move about 2 meters, and in a million years roughly 2 km.

Italy is part of the African plate, which tends to get closer to the Eurasian one. The Prealps, and therefore the Lessini Mountains of Verona and also the hills of our zone, originated from the movement of the African plate shifting towards the north. Over the course of millions of years, their collision with the Alps – which in fact appeared a long time earlier – caused the land to rise, like a sheet of paper that arches over when pushed up against an obstacle. To the north, the obstacles were the Adamello and the Cima d’Asta, very hard granitic mountains.

In orange, the historic Soave Classico area.

In this geological map one can see Soave Classico near the bottom, and the division caused by the Castelvero fault: to the west the calcareous sediments (in green) and to the east the volcanic soils (in brown).

The material of which the Prealps are mainly composed is sedimentary rock. On the ancient bed of the Tethys Ocean, materials transported by the rivers accumulated over the course of time. These muds, under the weight of the water, gradually compacted, mixing with the calcium carbonate (CaCO3) present in sea salt, which took the form of pure crystals following the evaporation of the water. The carbonate, mixing together with the sands, formed various types of calcareous rocks: from pure clay, made up of just the finest parts of the detritus, to marl (50% CaCO3, 50% clay) or even (very rare) pure limestone.

The Fault of Castelvero is very important in order to understand the origins of Soave Classico. The fault was in fact a rift in the Earth’s crust (this is very thin – barely 30 km deep – and below it runs the mantle in which the magma flows) and it divides our area in two. To the east of the fault there is a depression (graben). When, at a certain point around 60 million years ago, a series of volcanic activities took place in the area along the fault, the volcanic material poured down into the graben, covering it in a layer of igneous substances. Therefore, at the westerly end of the fault one observes calcareous deposits, whereas to the east there are outcrops of volcanic rock, as can be seen on the geological map below. Finally, around 23 million years ago, the volcanic activity started to come to a standstill.

It is, therefore, important to understand that the Soave Classico area is not completely volcanic but is in fact divided in two by the fault. Our vineyards are all situated in the volcanic zone.

However, not all basaltic magmas are alike, but may be of two kinds: acidic or basic, depending on the quantity of silica present. Ours are of the basic type, that is to say with a low silica content (around 40%). This is a very fluid magma, capable of flowing and moving, whereas an acidic magma is very dense and does not move much. Depending on the zone, there can be different types of igneous rocks, such as pyroxenes and plagioclases (rich in calcium, sodium and potassium), or olivine (rich in aluminum, iron and magnesium). Over millions of years, these rocks then transformed themselves into clayey soil, made up of very fine particles that are capable of retaining water, but which are very rich in minerals.

In our vineyards one can find various types of volcanic rocks: some, deriving from the volcanic chimneys, are very compact. Immediately after the eruption, in fact, sea water entered into the volcanic chimney, violently cooling down the material which, because of the thermal shock and the pressure, compacted very quickly and broke into prisms. The lava that was expelled from the volcano, on the other hand, can be identified by the presence of bubbles, remains of the gases that were liberated during the eruption. Then there is the ash, normally gray in color, which easily degrades into organic clayey composts, directly absorbed by the roots of the vines.

Thanks to the improvements in our “organic” approach and to our identification of micro-zones, the differences between each vineyard have become more marked when we taste the grapes. In the course of our work in the last few years, we have carried on in our humble quest for detail in order to further our knowledge of our terroir and so offer our clients wines that are precise and unique. In our philosophy of production, we have always asked ourselves – in an intellectually honest way – a whole series of questions as how best to express the characteristics of each “cru”. Year after year we try to quench our thirst for knowledge and we continue to gain a better understanding of the characteristics of each vineyard plot, working with obsessive sensibility and highlighting the important differences between them.

We therefore express “our” Soave Classico through four wines:

  • Vin Soave represents our most immediately appealing version of Soave Classico: fresh and well-balanced, it comes from those vineyards that we have not selected for our “cru” labels. Our vititiculture is nevertheless of very high quality and highlights the natural biological complexity in the vineyards through low yields and complete ripeness of the grapes. In this way we can offer an entry-level wine that is already able to express the greatness of our terroir. A brief maceration on the skins, followed by malolactic fermentation and maturation in stainless steel for 6 months, results in a fine everyday wine, a little luxury to be enjoyed whenever you want.
  • Vigneti di Carbonare is the latest release from the Inama winery, and is undoubtedly a result of the interpretation of the youngsters in the third generation: 40-year-old vines in a single vineyard that faces east, on a very sheltered hillside and rich in water deep below the surface. Here the grapes, when tasted, have high acidity and citrus fruit notes and, after a light maceration on the skins, the wine remains in stainless steel for twelve months on its fine lees without undergoing malolactic fermentation, so as to highlight the firm, acidulous/mineral vein that is the real essence of this vineyard. This produces a crisp, lively wine with floral notes and citrusy sensations, which is ideal for aging. We use specially selected, odor-free corks.
  • Vigneti di Foscarino is our historic label and is the wine that best represents the balance and rounded mellowness of Soave Classico. Our vineyards, which are around fifty years old, form a magnificent fan from East, to South, to West. Monte Foscarino can be seen from every angle of the plain below and is the point of reference – the real heart – of Soave Classico. After methodically tasting the grapes, each year we select the vineyards that are most expressive in that particular vintage. After a maceration on the skins that can last as long as twelve hours, in neutral French oak barriques – used for the second to fifth time – some lots of grapes undergo malolactic fermentation, others do not. Remaining on its fine lees, with bâtonnage every three weeks, the wine becomes fatter and attains that well-balanced richness on the nose and palate that only great wines succeed in having. After the final blend, another six months in stainless steel ensure that the wine expresses itself in a perfect manner. We use specially selected, odorfree corks.
  • Vigneto Du Lot is the finest expression of the Foscarino “cru”. Each year we seek out the batch of grapes which, in that vintage, has the most complexity and fullness of flavor; to do so we select the ideal plot of vines, usually lying on the western slope of the hill, where the afternoon sun allows the grapes to attain incredible concentration. The wine follows the same procedure as the Vigneti di Foscarino, but this time 30% of the barriques will be of new oak. This gives rise to an expression of Soave Classico that is a world away from that image of an anonymous wine which has destroyed this region’s name in the past, and instead inebriates one’s senses with rich sensations. We use specially selected, odor-free corks.

Our “Crus” in Soave Classico: Foscarino and Carbonare

Our four expressions of Soave Classico

意大利的佳美娜

一提到佳美娜,人们往往会想到智利。然而,很少有人知道佳美娜从很早以前开始就在意大利广泛种植,并且在2009年诞生的“贝利奇丘佳美娜DOC”(在维琴察省)得到重视。其实这片美丽的山丘是成就佳美娜理想的居所,能够使果实充分成熟,因此其产生的香气宝贵而迷人——包括黑胡椒在内等香料香。这打破了尤其像智利佳美娜常常给人们留下的青椒味这样的印象。再次强调,意大利贝利奇丘的风土也能生产惊艳一众的佳美娜。 Continue reading “意大利的佳美娜”

大自然与葡萄酒

大自然中的生物努力地表现着自己。这体现在森林和丛林的生物多样性中:一个复杂的生态系统,包含了各种各样的植被、昆虫等,这些生命有时相互竞争,有时相互协作。而在这样复杂的环境下成长的葡萄总是更有表现力、更有活力、香气更加浓郁。
风土造就了葡萄酒。而风土本身由一系列元素组成。最重要的是我们脚下的土壤;其次是气候:每一年阳光、降水和风向都不同;第三点是酿酒师的贡献,是他们将前两个因素诠释到葡萄酒中。(阅读技术改善) Continue reading “大自然与葡萄酒”

葡萄品种与产区

人们对于大部分葡萄酒都是通过葡萄品种而区分的,经常会听到:“我可以要一杯霞多丽吗?”、“一杯赤霞珠谢谢。”这是你可能在葡萄酒吧里最常听到的点餐语句。而且他们还都在品种前加上酒的生产商或牌子名称。但如果我们不知道这间酒庄在哪个产区,其实并不能预想点的这款酒风格是什么样的。大多数情况下,消费者们的兴趣就止步于此。而对于葡萄酒资深爱好者而言,他们愿意探索这款酒从哪里来。其中原产地或一些生产葡萄酒历史悠久的一些地名则提供了线索。 Continue reading “葡萄品种与产区”