Castell'in Villa

There’s magic in the air and evidently beneath the ground at Castell’in Villa, whose wines are capable of real greatness, particularly with time in the bottle. Paola Bianchi today oversees the winemaking, but woe betide anyone who suggests Princess Coralia has finally retired. The Princess can be rather intimidating but there’s a playful twinkle in her eye, especially when discussing her beloved donkeys. It was she and her diplomat husband who founded the estate in its current guise in 1968.

Coralia confesses they knew nothing about winemaking back then, and her approach has remained more intuitive than technical. The vineyards – primarily south-facing on complex alluvial soils – are farmed without chemicals and there is no unnecessary interference in the winery, where the wines are aged far longer (in botti) than their respective denominations require and are released only when Coralia and Paola deem them to be ready.