Contrada Contro
Le Marche, Italy
We are very, very excited to offer our small allocation of extremely rare wines from a minuscule producer. We were instantly smitten by the wines.
While you may have never seen these wines before, and nor are they as Instagram-famous as the likes of Emidio Pepe or Valentini, I can guarantee you that the wines from Contrada Contro offer the same compelling experience as wines of this cult level. You and I both know fine Italian white wines can rival the best French producers, and I believe they have done just that here.
Contrado Contro is the pure passion project of Andrea Polidoro, head winemaker at Cupano, Brunello di Montalcino, in the Le Marche region of Italy. Here he oversees seriously ancient vines of Trebbiano that have been abandoned for generations, high up in the mountains on rocky soils. These heirloom vines are on original rootstock and are truly vigne vecchie. We are talking hundreds (!) of years old in some cases.
These vines are grown in the most bizarre way, apparently a common technique in the region during the Middle Ages, snaking themselves around maple trees, free to grow as high as they like.
We were shown some personal photos from the importer of the vines climbing to incredible heights. Andrea sometimes has to climb the trees to reach the grapes and prune the maple trees for sunlight, and the trunks of the vines were about as thick as your leg. Production is roughly 600 bottles for most wines... All hand numbered.
— Will
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Contrada Contro 2023 Marche Bianco ‘Case Sparse - Vino di Communita’
Offer: $75.00
“A blend of many micro-parcels of Trebbiano, Malvasia, Santa Maria, Maceratina, Verdicchio, Pecorino and Passerina. All picked from the local communities’ personal old vines, some in their backyards... All above 450m, all farmed organically. Picked over 5 days, one third macerated overnight, fermented in tank and aged in Clayver and large oak.
The ‘simplest’ of the wines, but by no means any less delicious. Gorgeous pear and floral nose. Tightly strung acid line from the limestone beneath peach and salted lychee drink. Beautiful wine.”
— Will
Order here
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Contrada Contro 2022 Marche Bianco
Offer: $145.00
“From a 1976 vineyard at 530m with more sand, silt and clay than limestone. Predominantly Trebbiano. Directly pressed and settled before fermentation and ageing in 500L oak. No battonage, racked once after 12 months then bottled after 1 month in tank. Unfined, unfiltered.
This was the most hair raising wine I've tried in a long time. Rich ripe orchard fruit tinged with hazelnut and cashew nuttiness. Sea spray and just the slightest tinge of EA. Trebbiano by way of the Jura perhaps. The palate is immediate in its umami and salted green fruit quality over the top of its rich oily texture which slowly waltzes into a long and expansive finish which you can savour for minutes after drinking. I highly highly recommend this.”
— Will
Order here
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Contrada Contro 2022 Marche Bianco ‘Vino di Sante’
Offer: $232.00
“Malvasia Bianca di Candia from 150-year-old+ ‘pie franco’ vines trained up them maple trees. Spontaneous ferment with a tete de cuve, aged for 12 months in Clayver (high-fired, neutral ceramic) amphora. Bottled without fining, filtration or SO2. 600 bottles in the world, we have 2 available...
This is a serious wine. We asked to have a larger pour to let it open up over a few hours. Tight and slightly reductive nose. Very dense in its feel. Loves oxygen. An absolutely intoxicating bouquet of orange blossoms, nashi pear, crushed rocks and a sneaky green herbal backing, tarragon and thyme perhaps, unfurls in the glass. The palate has the same gravity that only the best wines in the world carry, and everything is in its place: acid, texture, fruit, aromatics. There is a world of transformative flavours each time you look at it. As Andrea puts it: ‘Flavours that no longer exist in modern viticulture.’ Very special.”
— Will
Order here
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If you would like any of the above, would like to come by for a private appointment, or just have some questions — please let us know.