Francesconi Paolo

Paolo Francesconi is an authentic winemaker from the Romagna region, and a true pioneer of organic and biodynamic agriculture in the area. His small winery is located in the Faenza area, in the province of Ravenna, on the gentle hills of the Apennines. His adventure began in 1992, when, putting his agronomy studies to good use, he decided to convert the family vineyards to organic farming. A decade later he adopted the principles of biodynamic agriculture, which still guide his production philosophy today, both in the vineyard and in the cellar. This led to the inauguration of a high quality production aimed at enhancing the territory, each vintage and, above all, the two typical grape varieties of the Romagna Apennines: Sangiovese and Albana.

Today Paolo Francesconi cultivates 8.5 hectares following the principles of biodynamic agriculture: total exclusion of insecticides, pesticides and herbicides, favouring green manure and horn manure to fertilise the land and minimal use of copper and sulphur. The vineyards thus cultivated are populated by a rich and lush nature, where flora and fauna achieve a perfect balance and the grapes grow healthily. The soils, where the bed of the Lamone river was once located, are rich in silt and red clay, and the vines are grown using the Guyot and spurred cordon systems. In the cellar, vinification takes place spontaneously thanks to the action of native yeasts only and without temperature control. The musts of Albana or Trebbiano, as well as Sangiovese, are subjected to a period of maceration on the skins, in order to allow the vine to express itself in all its deep territorial richness.

Paolo Francesconi's wines are the fruit of a small-scale artisanal production, closely linked to both the territory and the vintage. In fact, the winemaker's mission is to create wines that demonstrate "their own character" and that are able to express, without frills or embellishments, the terroir, defined as the combination of the environment, microclimate, soil and man's work. This objective is brilliantly achieved by Paolo Francesconi in every vintage and materialises in wines that are able to surprise and fascinate, equipped with elegance, structure and a delicate aromatic complexity.