Castello di Luzzano 'Tasto di Seta' Dry Malvasia 2023

This is a glorious, rich, multi-layered white that has been certified organic for years. Located on a hill on the border of Emilia-Romagna & Lombardy (where Franciacorta comes from), this estate boasts an actual castle and has been owned by the Fugazza family for 100 years. Giovanella Fugazza, is also the founder of Le Donne del Vino, an association of women in the wine business. The iron-rich clay and deep sand soils impart a special taste to this dry white. Look for acacia, cypress, mint, apricot, pear, ginger, lemon, jasmine, honeysuckle and minerals. Most of these wines stay in Italy, enjoyed by local northern Italians. This white also has no sulfites added. A supreme winner!   

The Luzzano Castle has been in the family of Giovannella Fugazza and her sister, Maria Giulia, for over a century. The property straddles the border between Lombardia and Emilia-Romagna, an area known for the variety and quality of its wines, with one vineyard in the Colli Piacentini DOC and the other in the Oltrepo’ Pavese DOC. The estate extends over 250 acres of land, over 170 acres of which are under vine.

The vineyards completely surround the estate’s buildings, allowing the Fugazza family to take advantage of two distinct soil types on the property. Within the borders of the Oltrepo’ Pavese appellation, the vineyards feature soil that is mostly schistous marls and calcareous marls from the Pliocene era with an underlying stratum of tufaceous rock. This land yields elegant yet well-structured red wines that have gained widespread acclaim. Experimentation with grafting varietals has enabled Luzzano to develop extremely successful clones of Barbera and Bonarda in the area. Whereas, the soils of the Colli Piacentini, famous for its Malvasia, are instead formed of deep sands, lime and iron rich clays which give rise to perfumed wines of grate finesse. 

The personality of this unique land is a priority through the cultivation and winemaking process right up to the bottling of the wines which feature labels inspired by aspects of the Luzzano home. In fact, the distinct packaging of Castello di Luzzano has gained notoriety in the fashion world, and custom labels and cases of Castello di Luzzano have even been exhibited in l’Eclaireur stores in the heart of Paris’s fashion district during fashion week.