Francesco Poli winery and distillery

Santa Massenza is a small town located on the edge of the homonymous lake, an oasis of peace where time has stopped. Imagine a valley surrounded by imposing mountains, where lakes and vineyards alternate themselves creating a landscape somewhere between the Alps and the Mediterranean, with the ridges of rock filled with flowers that are reflected in the sparkling waters. And it is in this framework that Alessandro Poli grows his vines, according to the principles of the biodynamic viticulture, which is nothing but the balance between the forces of Nature and the knowledge of Man.

We did not use the word Nature casually, because if you walk in the six acres farm of Francesco Poli-the father of Alessandro, who founded the winery/distillery in 1969-you can realize that the vineyard is alive and flourishing, full of ladybirds: a perfect micro-climate where insects and plants live in symbiosis. The rows are covered with grass: the land is worked every year in alternate rows, to allow the soil to get rich in natural nutrients. Each operation in the vineyard is done by hand and for treatments are used only natural sulfur and copper and biodynamic preparations as fertilizer.

The range of wines of Francesco Poli is well structured, characterized by the excellent quality/price ratio and includes the most important grape varieties of Trentino: Nosiola in the first place and yes we can immediately say that the Vino Santo Trentino is a delicious sweet wine. Alessandro is now a veteran of the “natural” viticulture, he started back in 1998, and this sensitivity is perceived in his wines, which are intense, minerals, full of intriguing scents: hints of herbs, flowers and rocks, the same you can find in this land.

Why should you take a wine tour in the Valley of the Lakes to visit the distillery-cellar of Francesco and Alessandro Poli?

A wine tour in Trentino is a great experience, but a wine tour with grappa and vino santo tastings is a dream for every wine lover! You will have the chance to see each step of the production of Vino Santo Trentino, starting from the drying “arele” to the finished product, a nectar of twelve years! Also, next to the farm, you will find the historic Poli distillery, which produces excellent Grappe Trentine (grappas) according to local tradition. All immersed in a natural oasis of great charm.

Vino Santo Trentino Nosiola

Behind this amber nectar there is a job of 12 years. After six months of drying on racks, the grapes are pressed and put to ferment slowly in oak barrels for six years, followed by a long bottle aging. The finished product is a thrilling wine: the aromas are sharp and wrapped in honey, apricots, dates, yellow flower petals and candied citrus fruits, sea-breeze notes that give way to bursts of mint and cinnamon. A trace of saffron hovers in the background. In the mouth is an explosion of taste, the fruit is fleshy, round, sharpened by a good acidity that keeps the wine vibrant, tense, never redundant. A great sweet wine born to be paired with cheesecake, foie gras, blue cheeses such as Stilton and Gorgonzola.

Majano Bianco, Nosiola

Glittering golden robe for this Nosiola fermented in acacia barrels. The nose offers elegant aromas of apples, yellow flowers, chamomile, hazelnut, hawthorn, mint tea. But if the bouquet is inviting the palate is enveloping, warm, elegant, with a delicious balance. It goes well with fish dishes, smoked salmon, chowder, pasta cacio e pepe.

Sottovì Nosiola

The simplest Nosiola the cellar Poli, yet one of the most intriguing: a Nosiola full of pepper, with hints of citrus and flowers intertwined with a nice fruity flavor. In the mouth it is lively, driven by a freshness of orange that make the wine irresistible and very drinkable. Combine with smoked trout, sushi, ricotta gnocchi.

Massenza Rosso, Rebo

Here’s another interesting native of Trentino, Rebo: a cross between Merlot and Lagrein grapes. Its main feature is the freshness, supported by a beautiful fruit made of cherry, blackberry, tamarind, alpine herbs and traces of mint. The structure is streamlined, consists of net mineral flavors that recall the ground, leaves, mushrooms, cinnamon and cocoa. The tannins give it momentum, but with grace. A perfect wine for jugged hare, beef tartare, truffle noodles.

Valette Lagrein

A refined Lagrein, peppery, played on subtle scents that alternate red fruits such as cherries, plums and hint of wild berries. The color is deep ruby ​and the palate is fine, driven by good acidity where you can find violets and peonies. A wine that has already found a remarkable balance, thanks to 18 months of barrel aging. The classic wild notes of Lagrein are there, but they are friendly, have developed in balsamic notes and aromatic herbs. A red to match with curry and coriander of the Indian cuisine, but also with black truffle risotto, passatelli with Parmigiano fondue and truffle, bucatini all’amatriciana, roast beef, hamburger.

If you want to visit an historic distillery surrounded by the Dolomites and buy wines from the cellar of Francesco Poli, please contact Alessandro:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 0461 340090
How to reach the cellar Francesco Poli: Via del Lago, 13, 38070, Santa Massenza of Vezzano, Trento
Bottles produced: 28000
Hectares planted: 6.5
Winemaker: Alessandro Poli

Alfredo Ravanetti