CA’ DI SOPRA

Ca’ di Sopra is hidden away in the hills of Marzeno, as so many small wineries are in one of Italy’s more underappreciated productions zones. These hills just outside of Faenza are home to brothers Camilo and Giacomo, the third generation of their family at the property, but really the first to focus on bottling rather than selling their grapes. 2006 was a landmark year for them, having produced 1,700 bottles rather than selling off all of their grapes, and they have grown year over year in this small corner of Romagna.

Camilo and Giacomo’s grandfather initially purchased this property in 1967, and the vineyards have always been primarily dedicated to Sangiovese, as so many are here. The plantings at the winery have had a mixed history, checkered with Chardonnay, Trebbiano, Cabernet, the local Albana, and Pinot Bianco. The whites express a great deal of minerality and complexity, helped by the fact that this part of Romagna was once under the sea and the soil consists of ancient fossils and limestone. The reds tend to be on the elegant side relative to the rest of Romagna, Marzeno being the most historic and important local production zone.

The family business has been growing steadily, thanks to Camilo’s background in business and Giacomo’s focused winemaking. Production is still very small, around 30,000 bottles per year, but the area of Romagna has started focusing more efforts on supporting these smaller, higher quality winemakers. In a zone where the majority of folks are still selling their grapes to cooperatives, it’s great to find folks investing in themselves.