So young, and already so perfect. That is: the importance to call itself Valmaggiore. If we then add two “minor” details – the revolutionary screw cap, and the amphora winemaking – we can better explain the meaning of the news: getting 90 points (the Silver Medal) at the Decanter World Wine Awards. «We are delighted that our Valmaggiore has made its first international release», celebrate Fabio and Elena Marchisio, “godfathers” of Valmaggiore’s debut in world wine competitions. «All thanks, once more, to Sergio Marchisio: he was the first to have the courage to make Nebbiolo wine in amphora». And that Nebbbiolo: like all the other wines of the Marchisio Family, also the award-winning Valmaggiore is both organic and biodynamic. And you can immediately feel it, in the glass: an explosion of fragrance, that the ceramic amphora itself makes sure that it remains evergreen, maturing in depth and breadth but without aging, without giving in to the weariness of time. A special sip, which the specialists at Decanter have noticed.
“This is the certify that Marchisio, Vigna Valmaggiore 2016 (Nebbiolo d’Alba, Piedmont, Italy) has been awarded a Silver Medal & 90 points in the Decanter World Wine Awards”. This is the certificate, which is now on display in the Marchisio Family winery in Castellinaldo d’Alba, in the heart of the Roero. «Now in its 17th edition, the Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) are the largest and most prestigious wine competition in the world», recalls the International “Wine Bible”. «Judged by the most authoritative experts and professionals in the wine business, DWWA are internationally recognized for the reliability of their rigorous tasting and selection process». Founded in London in 1975, the prestigious monthly magazine is published in 90 countries: a circulation equal to that of the American Wine Spectator. Attention: the Decanter World Wine Awards, launched in 2004 with over 15,000 entries per year, represent the largest wine competition in the world.
A prize that sounds really special, if you think of Sergio Marchisio’s commitment to natural, certified organic viticulture. A true pioneer of biodynamics in the Roero, Marchisio has bet – not from today – first and foremost on restoring soil fertility. A vital process that is accelerated, year after year, by the practices recommended by Rudolf Steiner. Objective: to let the land speak for itself, telling – through wine – the true essence of the vines. With Valmaggiore, then, the results are astounding: «The sandy nature of the Valmaggiore’s soil, of marine origin, certainly contributes to give this red wine an extra gear», says Sergio. Minerality and scents, depth and freshness. It’s a magical cocktail, the secret alchemy of the amphora: the power to restore, intact, the memory of the season. Certainly, the 2016 vintage has put everyone in agreement: even the Decanter’s specialists.
