Sete – It’s Italian for thirst.

An hour south of Rome, within the last dregs of the capital’s sprawl, lies the town of Priverno. In 2013 three locals Emiliano Giorgi, Arcangelo Galuppi and Martina D’alessio set about saving the commune’s vineyards, abandoned in times of economic downturn. With minimal equipment but a strong ethos the trio have championed native grapes, uncompromisingly producing wine that tells the story of the Amaseno river valley. The vineyards are exemplars of biodiversity – mature fig and olive trees serve as row posts for the vines and wildflowers colour in between. Everything is done by hand with no additives in the vineyard or the winery.

2019 Sabbia – 70% Ottonese, 30% Malvasia Puntinata del Lazio.
Perched on a dune of yellow and red sand, Sabbia vineyard grows in San Martino, in the South-East corner of Priverno. The soil’s high silica content is owed to a millennia of winds sweeping from the Riviera del Circeo, the historical landmark of Ulysses’ mythology.
Two days of skin contact, pressed with hydraulic press. Seven months of aging in fibreglass. The 2019 vintage is more elegant and less angular than 2018. Long and persistent with a very balanced acidity.

-High Hopes