Ceppaiolo Ceppafrizz Pet Nat 2018

Ceppafrizz is a field-blend petillant naturel rosato from Piccolo Podere del Ceppaiolo, a 1.7-hectare plot in Bastia Umbra, Perugia province, farmed by Danilo Marcucci and Riccardo Pennaforti. The vines — up to 70 years old — grow on calcareous clay soils at around 400 meters above sea level and include Trebbiano, Malvasia, Aleatico, Vernaccia Rossa, and Montepulciano, all co-harvested and co-fermented together.

The wine undergoes spontaneous fermentation and is aged in cement. Before bottling in spring, frozen must from the original harvest is added to trigger a second fermentation in the bottle — the traditional méthode ancestrale process. The wine is not disgorged, filtered, or fined, and no sulfur is added at any stage. Production for this vintage was 1,300 bottles.

The result pours a deep coral pink with fine, gentle bubbles. Aleatico brings its characteristic rose and wild berry aromatics; Vernaccia Rossa (genetically linked to Aleatico in this region) adds spice; Trebbiano and Malvasia contribute freshness and texture. At 11.5% ABV, it finishes dry with lively acidity and a slightly yeasty, saline edge from the in-bottle refermentation.