2022 ICARO Nemico Bianco dei Castelli
WINEMAKER: Rocco, Luca, Gianmarco & Fabio
REGION: Lazio, IT
VARIETY: Malvasia, Trebbiano
VITICULTURE: Organic/Biodynamic
“The name Nemico is a tribute to the Volcanic lake of Nemi which our cellar overlooks (the reason why we chose it). It is our first wine, the one we are most fond of and that represents us the most. Trebbiano and Malvasia in maceration on the skins for 30% of the mass and then complete the spontaneous fermentation in fiberglass. It is the most authentic expression of his vineyard in Velletri and it is exactly what we had in mind when we decided to make wine in the Castelli Romani. A territorial white, fresh and irreverent, a wine in which minerality and aroma are in perfect balance with each other for a long, changeable and deep drink. It is “the nemesis” but it is good .. trust me. It is the enemy only of bad people!”
ICARO Vino is a small but immensely exciting project by friends Rocco, Luca, Gianmarco and Fabio. Their mission statement is to revitalise and reintroduce the world to the wines of Romani Castelli (Roman Castles). The region was once where the nobility of Rome would holiday and where a great deal of wine was once produced and enjoyed by the Roman population. The wines were a favourite of the Poet Horace (65-8BC) and he even stated that they were so extraordinary that they loosened the statesman Cato’s (234-149BC) rigid and otherwise unwavering moral feelings.
The site itself is one of sheer beauty, a single vineyard near Velletri, surrounded by a 250 Ha natural monument of wild forest, huge oaks, maples and cyclamen. The soil is volcanic, composed of clay and a small percentage of sand (pozzolana), in an area particularly rich in tuff. In the vineyard, homeopathic treatments such as propolis and molasses are used to attract insects that carry yeasts. Farming is organic and everything from grape to bottle is done by hand. The little-known indigenous grape ‘Nero Buono’ is the hero here, with the white wine being made from Malvasia di Candia and Trebbiano.