Sustainability, respect and constant pursuit of excellence are the basis of the production of Castello Monte Vibiano which, among quality wines and oils, flies the flag of Umbria high.

When tradition and innovation merge under the banner of a single visionary and innovative philosophy. For decades and generations, a vision in continuous evolution: this is the distinctive feature of a unique reality in Italy and in the World, Castello Monte Vibiano . Here you can breathe history, combined with a modernity of style that has made this company a true testimonial of "Italian style" and "glamour" in the World for years.

Castello Monte Vibiano: the boutique winery dedicated to sustainability

A pearl nestled in the “green heart of Italy”, Umbria, Castello Monte Vibiano represents a one- of-a-kind and is characterized by the constant search for quality through an ethical approach of absolute respect for Mother Nature, combined with an innovative vision that has always been in the DNA of the Family that has contributed, in absolutely unsuspecting times, to giving life to a revolutionary agricultural management that today has a very specific name: “sustainability”.

Among the many records that this true “Boutique Winery” can boast, there is certainly the one that made it become, in 2009, the first agricultural company in the world to have obtained the “Zero CO2 emissions” certificate. A path, that of Sustainability, started in 1998 thanks to Dr. Andrea Fasola Bologna, father of the current owners Lorenzo and Maria Camilla, who passed down those values ​​that today characterize the spirit of the Company: Family, respect for the Environment and the continuous uncompromising search for Excellence.

The idea was that of an unimaginable future that today instead means normality and thanks to these anticipatory "visions" that the company carried forward in years of absolute non-suspicion, today it finds itself the heir of an ethical heritage that it defends and improves every day with unique passion .

Since the 19th century, Castello Monte Vibiano has been the residence of the Family and, thanks to the still present presence of the famous Hortus conclusus, the ancient wall that the Romans built to protect the vines and the ancient olive trees, it is dedicated to the production of top quality wines and prized extra virgin olive oils.

Extra virgin olive oil: “Vibianini” and “Harvest by Night”

We were talking about records and certainly Castello Monte Vibiano, currently one of the most awarded companies in the world for the production of extra virgin olive oil, has revolutionized the world of quality oil thanks to the now famous "Vibianini" , single-dose formats of 10 ml strictly in glass to guarantee quality, freshness and non-counterfeiting and of which it has always been a world leader in the production: the idea of ​​the single-dose format was born in 1998 to manage and optimize an invention, that of freezing the oil to preserve and "block" all the fantastic properties of the product, giving the sensation of always being in front of a freshly pressed oil.

The small single-dose glass format is, in this sense, the only one that can guarantee this result. The qualitative revolution in the world of Oil, however, probably had its peak in the joint operation with the CNR of Perugia with which Castello Monte Vibiano achieved a historic certification thanks to which each bottle produced can boast the helical symbol of DNA as an absolute guarantee, for the first time, of the total traceability of the product (from when it is still an olive to when it becomes oil) and of the 100% Italian certification: it was a strongly desired operation to seriously guarantee the final consumer the absolute certainty of the origin of the oil and to establish an internal ethical protocol that sent a message of absolute rigor in the production of "high quality" .

In addition to the creation of “Vibianini”, the company has become known throughout the world for the creation, limited to only 1,000 pieces per year, of a stunning 500ml bottle called “Harvest by Night” (“Night Harvest”): Frantoio, Leccino and Moraiolo hand-picked only from centuries-old plants in the last hours of the night when the polyphenolic levels (therefore the healthiest and richest part in antioxidants) are highest and cold-pressed at a temperature of -20° within the first 6 hours of harvesting, to maintain a color and freshness as if it were a first pressing. A true “liquid gold” that, thanks also to a label that can be customized by hand with the owner's name and surname, date and time of harvest, has become a true “cult” and has ended up, among other things, in the private residences of Heads of State and world-class personalities as a symbol of absolute Italian excellence.

“ We have had the honour of being selected – specifies with a hint of emotion the owner Lorenzo Fasola Bologna – both at an institutional and private level, even recently, to pay homage to very important world figures at a presidential, religious and political level” .

The wines of Castello Monte Vibiano

The whites

The journey undertaken in the magical world of Olio di Castello Monte Vibiano, however, represents only a part of the great value of the Company. In fact, the value of Wine cannot be said to be less, which, thanks to a pool of important figures at the oenological level strongly desired in the company, is reaching impressive qualitative peaks through a process of manual selection of the grapes and targeted refinement techniques. The production philosophy of the "nectar of Bacchus" in fact, sees the absolute presence of native vines as representatives of the Italianness and structure of the Wine, such as Trebbiano spoletino, Grechetto, Sangiovese and Sagrantino, worked both pure and combined with vines of French origin that manage to raise the olfactory aspect and the elegance of the trait to the highest levels.

We thus discover a world parallel to that of the great Oil that passes through great whites such as the “Bocca di Rigo” which is born from the union of Trebbiano Spoletino and Grechetto and which is characterized by a winking tropical fruit mitigated by a beautiful and fresh final citrus note that perfectly balances its taste and persistence in the mouth, to then approach another absolute pearl of the company, the “Vigna Luisa”, a wine that as soon as it was released on the market immediately obtained maximum national and international recognition and that makes all the elegance and uniqueness of an absolute native of the territory explode like the Trebbiano Spoletino which, refined for 14-16 months in large wood (a great record for a white!) with repeated monthly tastings to control its evolution, gives us an incredible olfactory complexity and a persistence on the palate that makes it absolutely unique in its kind.

The reds

The sensation of dealing with a time bomb of quality and finesse materializes with the tasting of the reds where the trait of elegance, complexity and “freshness of drink” transversally crosses all this production. The masterpiece of the company lies in the production of the legendary “ Vigna Lorenzo” , another wine that has won many awards since its first release: composed of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sagrantino, it is born and develops silently over the years through maniacal tastings repeated every two months after having rested for more than 2 years in French oak barriques and having refined for at least 6 years in the bottle. Impressive.

Another “red” pearl of the production is “L'Andrea”, a blend dedicated to the patriarch of Castello Monte Vibiano, Dr. Andrea Fasola Bologna, composed of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sagrantino that spend 24 months in barrique and a further year in glass to be released only in the best vintages.

The “ San Giovanni ”, a blend of Sangiovese that remains in steel for 15 months combined with the aromas and elegance of Merlot and Cabernet Franc that instead refine in barrique for the same period, represents the maximum expression of the international vision (without any compromise on quality!) of the Company: a velvety tannin that supports and accompanies an incredibly elegant spiciness with hints of plum, black pepper and vanilla.

During the tasting we underwent to celebrate the successes of the Umbrian company, we had the pleasure of tasting in preview the latest addition to the family: “ Fiommarino ”, a refined and unique representation of pure Sangiovese that deviates from the tasting experience that this grape variety normally offers us, veering more towards a “pinot noire-style” cleanliness and elegance that time will lead to increasingly increase.

We bid farewell to this incredible reality by discovering what perhaps represents the seal of the experience that Castello Monte Vibiano offers its guests: the presence of a section of electric pedal-assisted bicycles to delve into real “safaris” among the vineyards and a fleet of electric mini-jeeps to venture into the marvelous landscapes that surround the Winery and the adjacent Castle.

An experience that allows us to bring to light an Italian excellence that combines a very high quality of production with the unique experience that makes us protagonists of an exciting eco-tour immersed in that Nature that every year gives back to the Company its best fruits, transmitting what is the greatest value to which the life of every man should be anchored: Respect.

Written by Carlo Attisano for mangiaebevi.it