Italiano
Nature and the cosmos: I Cacciagalli
In Pythagorean tradition the soul and the body are substantially subjects that obey the same rules that govern the vibrations of sounds. The soul and the body, while in synthesis, are part of a cosmic order created and molded by harmony. According to Pythagoras, the repetition of seasons, tides, night and day are phenomenon regulated by a universal law. This law – applied to the individual and collective lives of men and applied to the world (microcosm) we live in and the universe as a whole – manifests itself as a natural law.
It is with a harmonious modus operandi that cosmic order reveals itself in the rhythms of Nature, finding in it a compliment to the ‘rule’ on which the beauty of Everything rests. In respect of those rhythms, one seeks to activate a deep nature/man/cosmos relationship by creating in an ecosystem the same perfect balance that governs the universe, according to the inscrutable principle by which what is above is like what is below.
An example of the quest for this universal harmony in nature can be found in the dictates of biodynamic agriculture, a farming method based on the conviction that the Earth and life on it are part of a single system, one based on a management of the land that follows cosmic and lunar cycles and focuses on the earthly forces that influence the growth of vegetation eliminating, among other things, the use of chemical fertilizers.
A practice (rule) considered fundamental to augment the fertility of the land consists of spraying the ground with a preparation obtained using quartz powder or vegetal substances diluted in a homeopathic solution or using preparation 500 – also known as cow horn manure that is obtained by filling with cow manure a horn from a cow that has given life at least once. The packed horn is then buried and allowed to ferment over the winter. After several months the compost becomes a humus with the typical odor of underbrush.
This ‘rule’ is based on natural laws that have the same basis as those that govern the cosmos and it is practiced by the I Cacciagalli estate, which began in 2006 as an organic project and then converted to biodynamic methods in 2010. This choice has also influences the life style of those who practice it.
The estate has 35 hectares of land with an uncontaminated volcanic soil in Aorivola, a small hamlet of 30 inhabitants near Roccamonfina. It is run by agronomist Diana Innaccone and her life partner Mario Basco. Her family is from the area and her grandfather made wine there as well as olive oil and grew hazelnuts and chestnuts. And it was here that she developed her passion for wine that inspired her to restructure the old winery and replant the vineyards.
The nine hectares of vineyards are planted with the native varietals Falanghina, Fiano, Piedirosso, Aglianico and Pallagrello and produce some 30,000 bottles a year.
The philosophy the estate has adopted is the result of in-depth considerations and Diana and Mario apply to their wine production what they have learned from nature. Aside from biodynamic principles, the wines benefit from a production and aging style that is extra-ordinary with long maceration in the skins using spontaneous fermentation and no clarification nor filtering. Furthermore, aging takes place in 800-liter terracotta Impruneta amphorae.
Tasting their two white wines and four reds in the I Cacciagalli cellar one recognizes their strong personality, (rare) terroir identification, cleanliness and balance.
And so hats off to nature working in harmony with the rhythm of the cosmos.
