Ca'liptra, Amistá, Marche, Italy

Ca'liptra is made up of four, young, forward thinking pals who met either at enology school or on the job at some of Le Marche's top wineries. Their name is an amalgomation of each of their initials, Loberto, Pisani, TRaspadini and Alfieri which follow Ca' (which means 'house of'). But it also refers to calyptra which is a botanical term referring to the thin cap that protects flowering parts as they develop.

They have just 2.5 hectares in the village of Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi where they practise organically, currently without certification which allows them some flexibility across vintages. In the hot, dry vintage of 2015 they adopted more of a 'do nothing' approach with minimal mowing, no tilling, cover crops or burnch thinning, the vines and soil were more or less left to do their own thing, whereas in 2016 they matched specific cover crops for each parcel. 

The Amistá is mostly Montepulciano with a touch of Sangiovese, light in colour but intense in flavour! The nose brings peppery herbs before ripe strawberries and crushed stones, while the palate ushers in sweet spice and floral-laced fruits and a slight olive brine acidity. 

Producer - Ca'Liptra
Country - Italy
Region - Marche
Appellation - Cupramontana
Variety / Blend - Montepulciano, Sangiovese
Wine Style - Red Wine
Farming - Organic
Vegan