ARLESIANA

Romagna Sangiovese Brisighella DOC, Arlesiana is one of the two crus (m.g.a.) produced by the Poggio della Dogana estate in Brisighella, in the Pideura area, from 20-year-old Sangiovese vineyards (Romagna clones) with 5,000 vines per hectare, trained using the spurred cordon method and situated at an altitude of 200–300 metres above sea level.

The yield per hectare is 5,000 kg/hectare, or 1 kg per vine. The grapes, cultivated under certified organic (EU) standards, are harvested by hand from each individual vineyard. Fermentation and subsequent maceration on the skins take place in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats, using indigenous yeasts. The wine remains in contact with the skins for an average of 24 days, followed by malolactic fermentation.

Ageing takes place for 12 months in concrete tanks and a minimum of 3 months in the bottle, resulting in a total of 4,000 bottles produced each year.

The image used for the label is taken from a floral study in ink and watercolour by Silvio Gordini, the great-great-grandfather of Aldo and Paolo, a famous painter from Romagna in the early 20th century known for his great decorative skills; the bouquet depicted here evokes the floral notes of rose and violet that lend the Romagna Sangiovese Brisighella its great complexity.

Arlesiana takes its name from the broodmare at the stud farm belonging to Aldo and Paolo’s maternal grandfather; she was the very picture of docility, yet at the same time strong and proud! She gave birth to the great champions who made the stud farm famous over the years!

In the Romagna Apennines, amidst the woods and steep slopes of Modigliana, the Ronchi di Castelluccio was born in the 1970s, marking the first quality wine experience from a single vineyard in Romagna. A visionary project conceived in 1974 by intellectual and director Gian Vittorio Baldi, who foresaw the extraordinary potential of these cold, wooded hills, pioneering the concept of zoning in Romagna. Among the first to support him was Luigi Veronelli, who, like Baldi, believed that the true identity of a wine should emerge from the most authentic expression of the territory.

The estate spans between 253 and 411 meters above sea level, on ancient soils formed millions of years ago when the sea receded: marl and sandstone, sands, and calcified clays that still resurface today, telling a submarine past. The vines root in poor, loose, and calcareous soils, with slopes reaching up to 40%, constantly caressed by the Adriatic breeze and surrounded by a rich biodiversity of broom, oaks, chestnuts, and ancient olive trees. When fog envelops the valley, the hills emerge like islands, offering a unique and enchanting spectacle.

Here, the “ronchi” are born: small clearings manually reclaimed from the forest, each with unique characteristics of exposure, soil, and microclimate. From these plots, single-vineyard wines come to life, where Sangiovese, Sauvignon Blanc, and Cabernet Sauvignon express distinct and profound identities. The yields are extremely low, and the work is entirely artisanal: manual pruning, organic fertilization, natural grassing, and measured treatments based on copper and sulfur. In the winery, the grapes are vinified separately with fermentations in steel or large oak vats; aging continues in French barriques with delicate toasting and then in the bottle, in search of balance, tension, and longevity.

Since 2020, the estate has been led by brothers Aldo Rametta and Paolo Rametta, who have chosen to revitalize this historic project by returning to the separate vinification of each ronco, following the original vision. Today, Ronchi di Castelluccio is the meeting point between art, nature, and oenological rigor: a place where wine becomes a narrative of the landscape, memory, and an authentic and vertical Romagna.