What is a porcupine doing among wines? Shy and fussy, it only moves across healthy, unspoilt land – and the porcupine takes centre stage on the labels of Mottura wines. The choice to put it in the logo is neither chance nor simple fondness; the porcupine is an icon of the healthy, intact ecosystem that characterises Tenuta Mottura and that helps to produce a 100% organic wine.
Its home is Lazio, where land rich in natural resources stretches between the clay canyons of Civitella d’Agliano and the Tiber valley. Winemaking here is an ancient practice; 14th-century documents name the local hills of Umbria among the best for wine production, and in fact the estate is closer to Orvieto than to Viterbo.
The Mottura family has owned the estate since 1933. Over the years there have been changes, generations and events, but the strong determination to preserve and protect the natural heritage of the place has remained the same.
With this approach, and with a pioneering spirit, Sergio Mottura took the helm of the family business and set in motion a genuine rediscovery of native grape varieties; he devoted himself to experimenting with new techniques combined with more traditional ones, carried out constant research alongside the study of the most promising local varieties, and worked to improve pruning methods, soil and land management, and winemaking itself.
All of this is summed up in Mottura wines.
Latour a Civitella: Sergio Mottura’s Grechetto is among the best Italian whites
Latour a Civitella was the first white from Lazio to receive the highest accolades. Awarded tre bicchieri in Gambero Rosso’s Vini d’Italia guide, it was officially born in 1994 thanks to the ability to make the most of the great potential of the terroir and of the Grechetto grapes.
A series of fortunate circumstances also contributed to this excellent white: at an event, Louis Fabrice Latour tasted Mottura’s Grechetto and, complimenting him on the quality of the wine, suggested to its maker that he mature it in wood in his barriques, already selected for white wines.
Hence the name Latour a Civitella, and the success of this great wine. With an elegant, complex nose and subtle oaky flavours of white fruit, citrus, melted butter and hazelnut, Latour is a fresh, velvety white wine that lingers in the mouth with a persistent finish of honey and vanilla.
To make Latour a Civitella, Sergio Mottura uses the best grapes from the five vineyards of the Poggio della Costa Grechetto clone.
Behind the production of Mottura’s Grechetto, and the remarkable international recognition it has earned, lies the great transformation that Sergio Mottura brought about at the head of the estate.
In the 1960s, in fact, the sharecropping system was still in place, with twenty-one farms. The varieties grown were local ones, including Grechetto, whose grapes stood out for ripening earlier than the others. The early harvest was a problem for the sharecroppers who, unable to fill the vat, handed the picked grapes over to the owner; these were given a small tank of their own, where they stayed on their own and were not mixed with other varieties.
This is how Sergio Mottura began working on Grechetto.
The fact that Grechetto was vinified on its own made it possible to grasp its full potential. The must was very clear, both because the berries were easy to press and because it was the first to arrive in the cellar, when there were not yet any yeasts to trigger fermentation; racking could be done later.
From the start this variety gave great satisfaction, and Sergio Mottura paid ever more attention to its grapes, beginning to use them for wines of great structure and personality.
Also contributing to the great work done on Grechetto and the results achieved were an important mass selection in the vineyard and the collaboration with oenologist Giandomenico Negro, who deserves credit for understanding the potential of these grapes in winemaking too – which is particularly difficult because of Grechetto’s tannic character.
Sergio Mottura, from transforming the estate to Winegrower of the Year
When the agrarian reform was introduced, Sergio Mottura was a young, passionate Piedmontese who already knew the world of wine well. With the shift from sharecropping to direct management, the estate underwent a drastic modernisation, during which it was decided to go on making the best use of all the land’s resources, in keeping with winemaking tradition.
As a great pioneer, Sergio Mottura recognised the land’s natural suitability for vine growing as the key to triggering a radical transformation through the best possible use of the soil.
He replaced the ancient Etruscan cultivation system with modern vineyards, totalling 36 hectares, with new ones added every year; he focused the choice of grape varieties on native ones, selecting clones for quality and inherited resistance to disease; and he carried out the growing and harvesting of the grapes with traditional techniques that allow organic farming and production.
Over time every choice has favoured the best possible organic management; the long cultivation of the grapes in the same environment, for example, has led to a natural selection of the varieties best able to defend themselves against pathogens. And more: only natural fertilisers are used for the vines, and the hand-picked grapes are vinified on the estate using modern techniques and without chemical intervention.
And finally, there is the touch of Sergio Mottura’s personal taste. In spring, when the wines have reacted to the change of season, the musts are selected and blended: Mottura’s creativity gives rise to wines of great depth, enveloping and vigorous, wines that do not conform to the mainstream.
Meticulous work, an achievement of enormous value both for wine culture and for showcasing the land, which in 2013 brought honour and recognition to its creator: Sergio Mottura was named Winegrower of the Year by Gambero Rosso.
Also from Grechetto grapes: Poggio della Costa and Muffo
Alongside Latour a Civitella, Sergio Mottura makes two other great expressions of single-varietal Grechetto: Poggio della Costa and Muffo.
Poggio della Costa takes its name from the vineyard, a 6-hectare plot in the municipality of Civitella d’Agliano at an altitude of 140 metres. It is a straw-yellow white wine with a fruity nose of yellow flowers and tropical fruit, and light notes of minerals and toasted hazelnut. On the palate it is fresh and persistent, with a long, slightly tannic finish.
Poggio della Costa also stands out for how well it accompanies very different dishes, from pasta with pulses, lasagne and spaghetti alla carbonara to main courses such as salt cod, ossobuco and white meats, as well as vegetarian dishes.
Muffo is a single-varietal Grechetto passito, whose grapes come from the Umbrico and Mecone vineyards, in a particularly favourable position for producing this wine. The two vineyards are easily reached by the morning mists that rise from the surface of Lake Alviano in autumn; it is thanks to these mists that noble rot develops, giving the wine its typical character as well as its name. This weather-related factor is essential for Muffo and affects its production.
Crystal-clear yellow with amber highlights and a typical, intense nose, Muffo is a very interesting meditation wine. In the mouth it is harmonious, mature and buttery, with hints of honey.
Organic farming is self-sufficient
At Tenuta Mottura, organic certification has officially been in place since the early 1990s, confirming a know-how that has always been in line with total respect for the environment and the choice to favour the natural resources available.
The volcanic soil needs no fertilising, except for the use of legumes, grown as an organic fertiliser to enrich the soil with nitrogen. Framing it all, almost magically, is the beautiful medieval village of Civitella d’Agliano, which is also home to the old family residence, now turned into an agriturismo, La Tana dell’Istrice.
