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Plani Arche
Montefalco Rosso
Italy, Umbria, Montefalco Rosso
Red
Winery Overview
Plani Arche are certified organic wines from a small artisan winery in Umbria by Roberto Di Filippo and his wife Elena Pompeii. Roberto and Elena run their winery business in Colli Martani and grow grapes there and in Montefalco, two of the central DOCs of Umbria, the “green heart of Italy.”
Their wines are of a strong and sometimes difficult nature, such as Sagrantino, or complex and earthy like Grechetto. From the very beginning, the vines have been cultivated organically. “...we have been cultivating the vines for two generations. We sell the wines we produce and live from those alone, devoting ourselves to this and no other work. We are true vintners.”
Roberto use workhorses to plough the fields and avoid the soil compression that results from 2+ ton tractors, but the sacrifice, for Roberto, has been more than in speed of farming…his leg has been broken not once but TWICE by a horse kick. It tells you how devoted he is to his horses and how close to the action he is.
To understand the wines, imagine attending one of Roberto’s famous pig roasts and washing down some pulled pork with the full- bodied, slightly nutty and tannic Grechetto or the supple and spicy Montefalco Rosso. To understand Roberto, you must simply see the love, affection, and pride he and his family share. His father Italo purchased the land for their vineyards in 1970, planted vines in 1971 and his first vintage was in 1974.
The name of the winery, “Plani Arche,” is the Latin name of a local shrine (“Pian d’Arca”) which is considered the spot where St Francis of Assisi gave his famous “Sermon to the Birds.” That outreach beyond humans aligns perfectly with Roberto’s holistic approach to farming and to life.
These are wines of the Umbrian land and Elena and Roberto's souls. Their purity, complexity and unique character are an inspiration.
Cantina Plani Arche is located across the valley from the ancient city of Assisi. It is comprised of 6 hectares of vineyards across 6 parcels, at average elevations of 250 meters, oriented towards the southeast. The predominant soil is calcareous clay.
Terroir
Grapes come from a 1.5ha parcel, oriented southeast, at 250 meters elevation. Soil is comprised of calcareous clay. Average age of the vines is 20 years old. Grass, legumes (to add nutrients) or grains (to add competition) are planted between rows vineyard rows. Geese are bred to control grass, fertilize soil and scare away foxes.
Viticulture
Vines are trained using Guyot cane pruning. Grapes are hand harvested with a yield of 7-8,000 kg/ha (compared to the max of 11,000 kg/ha permitted by the appellation). Soil is turned through the use of a horse-drawn plough.
Vinification
75% Sangiovese, 25% Sagrantino
Grapes are destemmed prior to fermentation, which occurs spontaneously and lasts approximately 20 days at controlled temperatures of 25-28 degrees Celsius, followed by malolactic fermentation. Wine is filtered and fined using vegetarian proteins and bentonite clay. 30-60 mg/L of sulphur is added.
Aging
Wine is aged for 12 months in 500 liter oak barrels, plus another 4 months in bottle before release.
Tasting Notes
Dark red to black fruit, spicy with tobacco undertones. Tannic backbone with fresh acidity and long finish.
