Originally from Naples, Francesco grew up in Rome and discovered wine whilst working in the city’s trattorie. In 2017 he moved to France to work alongside Manuel of Vinyer de la Ruca in Banyuls, falling in love with the dramatic Mediterranean landscape and the vigor and personality it imbues upon wines.

Francesco farms two hectares spread out across ancient stone terraces high in the hills above the village. The old bush vines of Carignan, Grenache Blanc, Gris and Noir are planted over pure schist in an extreme climate heady with sunlight, wind and heat. It is a challenging place to grow grapes and whilst yields are painfully low, the wines display profound depth and intensity. - Tutto Wines 

Working organically and entirely by hand, Francesco wishes for his parcels to remain as wild as possible, and due to the stiff winds and arid climate he is rarely required to treat the vines. In the future, he hopes that the work he is doing to introduce plants and herbs amongst the vines will create a topsoil that is capable of nourishing them throughout the increasingly warm growing seasons.

Grenache from a friend’s vineyards planted over clay and limestone in Calce. Around a third of the grapes were destemmed, whilst the remainder was kept as whole bunches. After four days of maceration, the grapes were pressed off to vats until the spring after harvest. Light, bright and crunchy, here a riot of red fruits is seasoned gently with herbs and spice. A wine full of southern charm, offering rays of sunshine during these cooler months.