Denavolo

About

Giulio Armani started making wine alongside Rafael Pantaleoni at the famed La Stoppa estate in Italy’s Emilia region in 1980. In 2005 Giulio launched a small personal project called Dinavolo, in the nearby Colli Piacentini in the Trebbia river valley. Using only white grape varieties and zero additives, Giulio makes structured, often skin-macerated white or “orange” wines from Malvasia di Candia Aromatica, Ortrugo (a native variety to Piacenza), Marsanne (referred to locally as Sciampagnino), and several other not-yet-identified indigenous varieties. Giulio makes four wines: Catavela, from the youngest vines planted at 500-600 meters with around a week on the skins; Dinavolino, from the bottom portion of the original 2.5 hectare hillside vineyard called Débé, usually with 8-9 months on skins; Dinavolo, from the upper portion of the Débé vineyard, usually with 8-9 months on skins; and Mansano, a Sauvignon Blanc grown on limestone soils with 10 months of maceration on skins.