Presented at the 70th edition of “Autunno Pavese” the first wine of the year, the sparkling wine “2278”, and a vertical of Buttafuoco Storico doc from 2020 to 2013.
The 2024 harvest was a counter-trend for the “Francesco Maggi” winery, located in Canneto Pavese, in the heart of the Oltrepò: “Despite the problems caused by unfavorable weather, explains Marco Maggi, owner of the company, we managed to maintain good health in the vineyards and to harvest intact grapes in good quantities, for all the vines, from Pinot Noir to Riesling, from Croatina to Barbera, Vespolina and Uva Rara. The position of our vineyards, facing South-West at a medium-high altitude, also contributed to this result”. And, if a good day starts in the morning, on the occasion of the 70th edition of the “Autunno Pavese” event, which took place in Pavia in the first week of October, Maggi presented the first wine of the new harvest: the Pinot Noir Metodo Martinotti “2278”, which expresses all the freshness and joy of life of its youth. From the same grapes, harvested in August, the Metodo Classico “Armonia” and the Rosé “Atacama” will be obtained. At “Autunno Pavese”, a vertical tasting of six vintages of Buttafuoco Storico “Vigna Costera” was also presented to customers – 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2015, 2013 – the company’s iconic wine: “We wanted to verify the evolutionary characteristics of the wine, noting its notable potential, which places it in perspective among the great Italian red wines.” Wine journalist Mauro Giacomo Bertolli also participated in the vertical tasting: “I tasted wines of great interest, characterized by stylistic continuity. The most recent vintage, 2020, has an evolutionary potential of great importance. We can also say that 10-12 years are a time frame in which the evolution of Buttafuoco is positive, in which the wine changes over time, enriching itself.” “Since our vineyards are located at different altitudes,” adds Marco Maggi, “we have selected the Croatina most suitable for the production of another of our iconic wines. That is, the Bonarda “Fatum” (in Latin, “destiny”), dedicated to my grandfather Francesco and my daughter Emma, who fate wanted to be born on the same day.” “To promote the positioning of our wines on restaurant menus, in wine shops and in general in the perception of consumers,” concludes Maggi, “three years ago we created a personalized bottle with the company logo for our entire production: prestigious packaging, appropriate to the high level of the wines.” The Maggi Francesco Agricultural Company is a family business, founded in 1940 by Francesco Maggi, later developed by his sons, Angelino and Giuseppe, and now mainly by his grandson Marco. It is located in Canneto Pavese, one of the symbolic municipalities of the winemaking tradition of the Oltrepò Pavese. The company has 29 hectares of vineyards, 25 of which are owned. The average production is about 150 thousand bottles per year, divided between about twenty labels, expression of the different typologies of the territory. Note: the Buttafuoco Storico – Born on February 17, 1996, the Buttafuoco Storico Club, today brings together 17 producers who are bound to produce the traditional red wine of Oltrepò Pavese according to a strict internal regulation. The vines used are Barbera, Croatina and, jointly or separately, Uva Rara and Ughetta (Vespolina). The vineyard is unique for all the vines. The grapes are harvested and vinified all together, therefore it is a blend. The wine obtained is bottled in the historic Oltrepò Pavese bottle, on which the Club brand is printed.