The philosophy of a Château… the love of Sangiovese.
The Drei Donà Estate is nestled in the ancient Romagna hills between the towns of Forlì, Castrocaro and Predappio. This is the land where Sangiovese is born: this wine was produced here since Roman and Etruscan times. The farmhouse was built around a watch tower that Caterina Sforza erected in 1481 in this strategic position to defend her lands. The site itself is spectacular – a rounded slope set 500 feet above sea level. It has perfect southern exposure and the clay-calcareous soils that are considered ideal for the cultivation of fine wines.
Since the beginning of the 20th century, the property has belonged to the Drei Donà counts and has always been dedicated to producing Sangiovese grapes. In 1980 Claudio Drei Donà, after acquiring a law degree and working in the insurance industry, quit his previous job and dedicated himself solely to the property. Altogether with his son Enrico he gave Tenuta La Palazza a radical transformation.
All the 23 hectars are run under organic agriculture and most of them are planted with Sangiovese grapes whose selection comes from careful research and restoration of our historic Sangiovese clones: hence are born the classic Predappio Doc “Notturno”, the Riserva “Vigna del Pruno” and, only in the best years, the exclusive “Graf Noir” today dedicated to our Founder.
In the mid 80s alongside these vines Claudio Drei Donà, being a true pioneer, planted the first mixed-clone vineyard of Cabernet Sauvignon in Romagna and another new vineyard of Chardonnay and Riesling. From this futurist vision were born “Il Tornese”- the first great white wine from international varieties ever planted in Romagna and “Magnificat” – a single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon out of that first old historical vineyard planted in 1984.
The working philosophy is extremely rigid: we express our land’s soul through our work so to produce wines that embodie its essence in the joy of a glass.
The severe work in the vineyards following the dictates of organic farming, the protection of biodiversity in our land, the delicate work in the cellar and the slow aging times are the simple gestures to bring in the glass the purest expression of our micro-terroir of Massa di Vecchiazzano within the DOC Predappio
On this view, also considering that horses have always been a family passion and hobby (the names of our wines are the names of our most beloved horses) , we are now introducing draft horses to work our land with, so to protect our soil and go towards the future with an eye to the best traditions of the past.
