Peter Dipoli
Peter Dipoli brings an academic sensibility to the cultivation of
his wines, having acquired a Master’s degree in agriculture.
Moreover, this background received practical application in his tenure
as a researcher at the Instituto Sperimentale for the Alto Adige
region. He left the behind-the-vines scene altogether in 1987, establishing
his eponymous estate with the purchase of a three-acre site in Alto
Adige’s Cortaccia village. After meticulously studying this area,
he decided to uproot Schiava—the local favorite—as the
site’s exposition, height, and soil type (chalk-based) actually
served the interests of another vine, providing the ideal environment
for Sauvignon Blanc.
While Sauvignon Blanc frequently exhibits an intensely grassy and
herbaceous character, matched in degree by riveting acidity, Dipoli’s
Volgar bottling, which made its market debut in 1990, emphasizes the
grape’s tropical fruits within a structure that proffers substantive
balance between body and acidity.
Dipoli has not remained on exclusive terms with Sauvignon Blanc, having
acquired ground (totaling approximately ten acres) that’s shown
a propensity for red. Indeed, he is one of only a few producers from
the Alto Adige whose reds do more than hold their own against the dominant
white scene. Iugum (meaning “yoke”) is sourced from
one of Alto Adige’s warmest vineyard areas, one in which the
soil content is rich in clay. The wine’s components—70%
Merlot and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon—are aged separately for 11
months in used and new barrique, respectively, followed by assemblage
and aging in stainless steel for a period of six months. It is released
after an additional four months’ aging in bottle. A portion
of Iugum is generally blended with Dipoli’s Fihl (an ancient
name signifying the Villa commune), which receives 11 months’ aging
in a combination of new (20%) and used (80%) barrique and two to four
months of bottle age prior to release. In exceptional years, Fihl is
comprised solely of Merlot. While the Fihl references Bordeaux in its
structure and well-integrated fruit, the Iugum is modern in temperament,
with more forward fruit flavors and silky tannins. |
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