Calafata – In Ground We Trust
Jonathan GobbiLearning from the story of Colline Lucchesi and Calafata.
Lucca, for a teen version of me, was a dream. I was going there by train for one of the biggest comic fairs in Italy and I still remember the mass of teenagers pouring out in the station and flooding the streets of the medieval city. I remember the beautiful, well preserved walls under siege by many cosplayers…
These were the kind of memories that got me when I was there recently. Looking again at those walls before taking the car to go visit the house my father recently bought for his retirement.
While the road was getting steeper I was thinking that I would like to spend more time there, now that I have my father as an excuse. Spending time with someone means sharing wine. So I need to know more about Colline Lucchesi, this underrated denominazione.
Make wine, not war.
First of all I got a starting point, a companion to write about, an excuse (for writing and for drinking): Calafata, or better: Cooperativa Agricola e Sociale Calafata.
The labels already remarked the connection with the comic world with the beautiful drawings by the design agency Genau, which also curated the print on the corks: IN GROUND WE TRUST-MAKE WINE NOT WAR.
It may sound naive, but while I was reading about the region and getting to know Calafata better, also behind its wines, I started to see a point in that printed sentence.
Because trusting the ground and avoiding war is something the people from this area have been doing for a really long time, and this decision shaped the production of the region.
Let’s clarify it with a little bit of history:
The DOC status was given in 1968, but the area was cultivated already by Etruscans and documents from the XII century testify to the high quality and the appreciation of the wines. In 1300, thanks to the fluvial port built on the Serchio river and the already established commerce of silk, the wines were taking the path of commercial success.
But something still not clear happened in the XVI century, a change that will create the identity of this terroir as we know it today: the commerce stopped and the local aristocracy decided to invest in agriculture, shaping the hilly landscape with beautiful villas and small plots of land. In a time when most of Tuscany was administered through a feudal system made of large, highly spoiled crops, Lucca’s aristocracy was able to keep the biodiversity of the land, increasing at the same time the internal consumption of wine, which already granted enough money to producers.
So, as we can see from historical documents, they really trusted the ground and instead of making war between them, they understood the possibility of having a little share without destroying natural diversity.
Even in more recent times, when the rest of Tuscany was opening up to international commerce, Lucca always kept a low profile, hiding some real gems under the severe eyes of the Apuan Alps.
The Calafata project placed itself on the same line of thoughts: it started in 2011 when Lorenzo Citti wasn’t able to take care of the vines and was struggling with the idea of property. How can someone own something if not able to take care of it? Maybe it would be better to change “property” with “custody”? Lorenzo decided to give his historical vineyards of the cru Maulina on the left side of Serchio to a group of friends: Mauro, Maik and Marco.
They were inexperienced, but with a clear idea in mind: to create a virtuoso movement where the people and the land were at the center.
Today, Cooperativa Agricola e Sociale Calafata is a reality with wines, oil, honey and vegetables. More importantly, it is a place where disadvantaged people (immigrants, former drug addicts, convicts) can go and find a different future, learning from the work in the fields.
The idea of terroir is not made only by climate, mountains, rivers. History can contribute to shaping it through time. At its best, terroir is a place of solidarity -a plot where social exchange happens every day.
Before leaving some tasting notes, I want to close with another drawing: the logo of Calafata, a ship, inspired by maestri calafai, the artisans in charge of waterproofing the ships. I would like to see in it also a modern Stultifera Navis, the Ship of Fools described by Sebastian Brant. Maybe the ship found the old port on the river Serchio and created a new, more inclusive, community without outcasts. In many medieval representations, the fools were drinking happily.
Intense straw yellow, the nose is rich without incongruous peaks. Glycine, apricot, honeydew melon and a hint of flintstone. In the mouth is revealing all the care and balance: mellow and juicy, with a discrete acidity and minerality enough to invite the next sip.
A blend of Vermentino, Trebbiano toscano, Moscato and Malvasia where all the musicians are playing a gentle, perfectly tuned melody. Every grape contributes to a wine made to be shared at the table with friends all over the day.
With the typical Tuscan blend of Sangiovese, Caniolo, Ciliegiolo e Colorino (the same used for Chianti), Majulina is a red wine well-played between structure and freshness.
The first nose of leather leaves space to black cherries, sage, time, slightly balsamic notes and coffee powder.
In the mouth is rightly tannic, somehow pleasantly rough without being aggressive. It’s warm with balanced, crispy acidity. Again black cherries, redcurrant and violet. Gently bitter note of coffee in the end.
Olio extravergine di oliva
As already mentioned, Calafata produces also very nice olive oil, reflecting the supportive attitude of the whole project.
It’s balanced and not particularly intense on the first try, it’s not made to overwhelm any dish (but try it just with a little bit of bread and salt!). It has a strong, persistent, spicy note that will lay on the back of your palate, and that’s the trick. It’s working as a sort of backbone to support and revitalize a wide range of dishes, preferably a little thick -thinking here about soups, for example.
My favourite in between all the different combinations I tried: homemade “maltagliati” with cannellini beans and mussels. In the end a little of Olissea, raw, directly on top. It’s a simple gesture that brings a different light to all the elements of the recipe and, at the same time, a great sense of unity.
Here you can find the wines, olive oil and sugo produced by Calafata.