Feudo Monaci Fiano
Feudo Monaci’s range grew out of a sustainability oriented winemaking project, whose objective is to safeguard the environment at every step in the production process.
Their Fiano comes from the Lecce district of Salice Salentino. The vineyards, with Guyot trained vines, are 30 metres above sea level with deep, dry, earthy marl soils. Close to the sea 60ha of vineyards are home to predominantly white grape varieties. The absence of irrigation, except in cases of extreme necessity, forces the roots of the plants to descend deeply, until they find a sand that the nearby sea enriches with chlorides. Hence the minerality and flavor that characterise the wines of this vineyard. The constant breeze from the sea acts as a natural inhibitor for fungus.
The harvest takes place around two in the morning; these cooler temperatures avoid the risk of spontaneous fermentation, which the heat and light pressure of the grapes in transit could cause. After a soft pressing the grapes are fermented off the skins at controlled temperature of 15 °C then left for cold settling. The wine is bottled in early December.
Showing straw yellow with pale green highlights, it has a clean, pronounced aroma with subtle citrus notes; elegantly scented with pleasant aromatics and full flavours that persist in the mouth.
Food Pairing: Appetisers, delicate pasta and rice dishes, fish and shellfish.
About the Producer
Castello Monaci
Castello Monaci winery is a splendid 210ha estate in Salice Salentino. The property has been family-run for four generations, currently it is managed by Lina Memmo. The estate lies between the provinces of Brindisi, Lecce and Taranto; exposed to the influence of both the Ionian Sea and the Adriatic.
The castle is an imposing fortification that dates back to a settlement of ancient French monks from the first half of the 16th century. Alongside is an important museum, dating from the 1930s, highlighting the history of local winemaking.
Built in the 1970s Monaci’s barrel-shaped cellar, was dug into the white tuffaceous rock which the deepest layer of the soil of the surrounding vineyards. It now houses over 1000 barriques.
The winery is equipped with modern winemaking facilities, including a refrigerated pressing system with small capacity steel tanks, thermo-conditioned with a double cell, to be able to separately vinify limited quantities of grapes, highlighting the specific character of each parcel.
Leonardo Sergio has been the oenologist and production manager since 2001. Born in 1962, he graduated Agricultural Expert in 1981 and obtained the title of Oenologist in 1984 at the Basile Caramia Di Locorotondo Oenological Institute. For thirteen years he has been a wine consultant for 12 wineries in Puglia and 3 in Calabria, dealing with the management of the entire supply chain: from running the vineyards to bottling.
Castello Monaci believes in an even broader concept of sustainability, which takes into account the correct management of production, to minimize the carbon footprint and the impact of its winemaking. To produce its wines, Castello Monaci adopts important environmental and sustainable methods:
- Uses only clean electricity, from its own solar panals or other renewable sources.
- Preserves and maintains green areas, which help fixe carbon dioxide and reduce CO2 emissions.
- Monitors and controls water efficiency to reduce consumption in the cellar and in the vineyard.
- Manages waste through specific recycling processes and optimise the disposal and recovery of materials.
- Supports biodiversity; allocating 2ha of land to disposable crops (sunflowers) to benefit wildlife.
- The harvest is carried out at night, to take advantage of the temperature range for cooling the grapes.
- The barrel cellar is dug into the tuff, a natural thermal insulator that protects the wine during the aging phase.
- Finally, it contributes to the well-being of the community and its social fabric by employing local people. Roles are often handed down in families; e.g. the three generations of agronomists who have worked in the company.
