Morra Gabriele Memorie 2024

From the Langhe, in Piedmont, the Memorie cuvée was born from the combination of two of the region's emblematic grape varieties: Nebbiolo and Freisa. The Nebbiolo comes from young vines around Barbaresco, while the Freisa comes from family vineyards in the Roero. This cuvée pays tribute to the Piedmontese winemaking tradition and to the wine once made by Gabriele's grandfather. Farming practices that respect living things and the characteristic soils of the Langhe hills allow the expression of an authentic, fresh wine deeply attached to its terroir.

The grapes are harvested by hand, with the Nebbiolo and Freisa picked together, the latter slightly raisined at harvest time. The two grape varieties ferment spontaneously with their native yeasts in old concrete tanks. The cuvée is then aged for around 8 months in the same vessels to preserve freshness and fruit expression. The wine is bottled without filtration or stabilisation, then continues to evolve in bottle. This low-intervention approach thus favours the vitality, finesse and natural identity of the wine.

This wine reveals notes of red cherry, wild strawberry, rhubarb, raspberry, violet, hibiscus, eucalyptus and lavender. On the palate, the attack is supple and energetic, carried by crunchy fruit and lovely freshness. The juicy, tactile texture rests on fine tannins that add relief without weighing it down. The fresh, lightly spicy finish extends the fruity and vegetal sensations with lovely vivacity, giving this cuvée a delicious, easy-drinking character.

Ah Italy, what a beautiful hedonistic country, people of the Dolce Vita, but what difficulty in understanding its wine organization! The key to understanding the naming system in Italy is to think of it as several small countries rather than a single homogeneous country because each region has its own naming system. Italy can, however, give wine lovers a multitude of wines with varied and unique flavors and styles, as well as bottles filled with surprise and creativity. Unfortunately, it also produces a large quantity of soulless and characterless wines which are sold under their most useful and commercially reputable name: Pinot Grigio, Chianti, Valpolicella, Lambrusco, Prosecco and many others...



But let's talk a little history, viticulture in Italy dates back to ancient times and it originated in Greece. The Etruscans would have planted vines and Greek immigrants would have improved and modified the grape varieties who subsequently called this country "Oenotria": the country of wine. At the height of the Roman Empire, wine held an important place in daily life and certain regions already stood out for the excellence of their product. The Romans also established numerous vineyards in Europe, leaving an indelible testimony to their invasion.



Today Italy is the largest wine producer in the world, ahead of France. Italy is divided into three climatic areas. The northern mountains experience a fairly harsh mountain climate. The “middle of the boot” plain is the domain of the continental climate with cold winters and hot, stormy summers. In the "southern part of the Italian boot" the Mediterranean climate reigns with very hot and very dry summers without forgetting the islands of Sicily and Sardinia. In summary, Italy produces wines of great variety thanks to its 200 different grape varieties, many of which originate from their lands. It is a country just as complex as its wines which deserve to be explored!