Description
Remo Falconieri comes from a long line of falconers, hence the family name, in Sicily. However, he left the island for a career in business and ascended to the north of Italy where he worked for 30 years at the Olivetti typewriter factory in Turino. With his success there, Remo was able to pursue another passion by becoming a vigneron and founding Azienda Agricola Cieck in 1985. Located in the hills of Alto Piemonte in San Giorgio Canavese, he chose to establish his estate in the land of Erbaluce, the ancient white varietal which was very à la mode in the 1800s and even served by Napoleon during important ceremonies. Remo's first production release was a sparkling Erbaluce made in the traditional Champagne method, or 'Metodo Classico', and he is referred to today as the 'King of Sparkling Erbaluce'. While the 16-hectare property is also planted to Barbera and Nebbiolo, Erbaluce makes up 85% of the vineyard holdings from which he produces three different still and two sparkling wines. Now 93, Remo still spends time in the cellar and vineyard, but the estate is run by his daughter, Lia and agronomist Domenico Caretto.
The name Erbaluce is derived from two words, 'erba' which means 'dawn' and 'luce' which means 'light' and alludes to the striking copper color the grapes assume as the sun hits them on traditional pergola-trained vines. The 2020 Cieck Calliope Extra Brut was made from grapes harvested from 30-year-old, southeast-facing pergola vineyards rooted in morainic soils at about 320 meters elevation. After gentle pressing, a portion of the base wine fermented and aged for nine months on its fine lees in small oak barrels, while the remaining portion was vinified in temperature-controlled stainless steel. The wines were then blended and bottled for a second fermentation in bottle by the traditional method. Following extended maturation on its lees—at least 48 months—the bottles were hand-riddled on pupitres, disgorged, and held for a further six months in bottle prior to release. The result is a finely structured, dry, millesimato Erbaluce with the depth and nuance, showing freshly sliced Golden Delicious apple, sweet lemon and a trace of marzipan. The finish is long, crisp and very refreshing.
