A PORTRAIT OF THE WINERY

History often plays with the destiny of man. It weaves, sews, unravels and knots threads but it never truly cuts him free from his past, nor his destiny. And this is why the Valentini family, whose ancestors had been farmers in the early 1900s, found themselves once again with their own past as present as ever, thanks to the latest generation. They decided to establish the Bocale winery in 2002. Nomen omen, or “your destiny is in your name”, Bocale is what the Valentinis were called by locals in the area, referring to the dialectical term used here to define the two-litre jug, or bocale, in which both olive oil and wine can be stored. Bocale is a model small-sized winery that sits perched on the gentle rolling hills of Alzatura, just below Montefalco in the Madonna della Stella area. The area is famous for its eponymous sanctuary and for the quality of its produce, and for a few years now also for the authentic and genuine wine being produced by Bocale.

THE VINEYARD AND TERROIR

The small estate covers some five hectares, four of which are vineyards. The gently sloping terrain has an eastern exposure and sits at an altitude of 250 – 270 meters above sea level, its soil prominently clayey. Nature and the environment are well cared for here, wild grasses and weeds are mechanically removed from the vineyard and stable manure is used for fertilizer.

THE GRAPE VARIETIES GROWN

Two hectares of sangiovese and merlot and two hectares of sagrantino.

WINES

They make their Montefalco Sagrantino by letting the must sit in its own skins for almost a month and without adding any outside yeasts. The result is an aromatic wine with great character and structure, at its best when aged for the right amount of time. Their roSSo di Montefalco, made with sangiovese, sagrantino and merlot, is intense and well-balanced.