Collecapretta

Altitude | 500 metres

Soil | Calcium, iron-rich clay

Approach | Natural, unfiltered, wild yeast, no added sulphites

At first glance, Collecapretta may appear to be just another small producer from a lesser-known Italian wine region, Umbria, but believe us when we say that inside these unassuming bottles are some of Italy’s best wines. Spanning just 4 hectares and tended to by the Mattioli family, who have lived in the tiny hamlet of Terzo la Pieve since the Medieval era, Collecapretta is a celebration of all that makes Umbrian wine unique. Take their much-loved Vigna Vecchia, for example, a wine named after a part of the farm known as the ‘Old Vineyard’. Made from very old Trebbiano Spoletino vines, some of which were planted by grandfather Vittorio’s own grandfather in the early 20th century, this elegantly complex white is slow and mineral, pure and rich. Then there’s Le Cese, a Sangiovese that speaks of black cherries and fragrant violets on first sip, but underneath you find roots, earth and rustic leather. Or the Lautizio, a tart and crunchy but ultimately silky smooth Ciliegiolo, this light red, like all Collecapretta’s wines, is a masterclass in balance. The Terra dei Preti or ‘Land of Priests’ is an orange wine of stone fruits, honey, blossom and conjures memories of the finest meal you ever had, and a yearning to have it again, but with this wine by its side. The Rosso da Tavola, modestly referred to as a ‘table wine’ is a red with so much depth and elegance, it belies its name.

Here is a producer that has always held a very special place in our heart. It was an earlier vintage of their Lautizio that began our unending obsession with Umbrian reds. It was at Collecapretta, too, under the guidance of Vittorio Mattioli that one of the most famous winemakers in our portfolio Danilo Marcucci began his own journey into natural wine many years ago. And it was at the end of a very difficult year, 2020, that we were approached by the Mattioli family to become their UK importer. As specialists in Umbrian natural wines, working with Collecapretta is like coming home to the place where it all began for us. Or as SelectioNaturel (their US importer) puts it: “The wines of the Mattioli family, aka Collecapretta, are special. Unique. Unique not just for the sake of it but because so few producers do it with the care, attention and humility that the Mattioli family does it. When you drink these wines take pause, let it soak in. You have something special in your glass.”