Massimago

Massimago

Located in the Val di Mezzane valley (Eastern Valpolicella) surrounded by woods, this gorgeous estate is managed with creativity and strong determination by Camilla Rossi Chauvenet and her dedicated team. The name of the winery derives from the Latin "Maximum Agium", maximum benefit. It has been in the Cracco family (Camilla’s mother family) since 1883 and in 2003 it was renovated into a modern and innovative winery, when Camilla decided to devote herself to the wine world. In 2004 she produced her first 1,000 bottles. From its humble beginnings in a garage, it has become a fully functioning winery which allows Camilla play with micro-vinification at times to better optimize the quality of the grapes.

In 2014 the vineyard became certified organic. In 2017 they expanded the winery and aging cellar. The aging occurs now in two different cellars: one is dedicated to barriques and tonneaux, and then the the 'big cellar' room, underneath the main house, where the most prized wines are slowly maturing.

The property covers 30 hectares (74 acres) with a difference in elevation from 100 to 400 meters (328 to 1,312 feet), with a South-West exposure. 13 different parcels have been detected, all of them vinified separately starting in mid-September and lasting deep into October. The soils found on Massimago’s lands are a stratigraphy of colors and materials that intersect and mix in a perfect mosaic: from red clay rich in organic substances and colloids, to white and pink floury limestone which contributes to freshness and minerality, to floury and porous marl which allows excellent drainage of the soil when it mixes with the fragments of limestone and quartz. With the limestone on higher elevation, you get very different wines from the same grapes. The wines show higher acidity, the tannins are a bit more pronounced, and you find more aromatic herbs in the wine like rosemary and lavender, usually less fruit aromas. There is longevity in the wines, higher alcohol and more complex so this is where you find Profasio and Amarone produced.

Massimago is very unique in the area as it has it's own Fruttaio on top of the hill. The Fruttaio is arranged to assure the constant airing of the grapes, to prevent humidity stagnation and to permit the gradual change of temperature.

The building envelope, characterized by a second coating made with recycled wood, makes the volume of the Fruttaio even more ethereal.

The building —gracefully traces back to historical rural buildings— is the combination between functionality, aesthetics and dialogue with the surroundings. It can fit 800 quintals of grapes = 600 hector liter of wine. The sliding doors can be open inside, that have wooden boards with small spaces in-between on the outside of the building, all around. That gives a perfect way to gently dry the grapes and to make better wines! The wooden panels also keep out the rain and humidity. Solar panels on the roof top feed the warehouse electricity.

Total annual production: 80,000 bottles.

Massimago is a young wine company, run by young people, but Camilla is the true heart and the brain of the winery.