Viandante del Cielo

Viandante del Cielo sits on the northern shore of Lake Trasimeno, near Passignano sul Trasimeno in Umbria. In 2007 Skywalker Vineyards bought the 24-hectare (60-acre) property after a search of around ten years, making it the group's first estate in Europe; Château Margüi in Provence followed in 2017. The name translates loosely as "sky walker" or "pilgrim of the sky".

The land carries a long history. Hannibal defeated a Roman army on these shores in 217 BCE, the remains of a Roman villa have been found nearby at Quarantaia, and Capuchin monks once lived here with a view across the water to Isola Maggiore, the island linked to Saint Francis. Their 16th-century monastery, Il Convento dei Cappuccini, has been restored as a ten-bedroom property.

Vineyards and terroir

Planting began in 2013, and about 4 hectares (10 acres) of vines now grow on terraces between 330 and 370 metres, facing south to south-west. The terraces were rebuilt following the old coltura promiscua tradition, with vines interspersed among olive trees, and the steep slopes are farmed by hand. The lake, 124 square kilometres in area and less than 6 metres deep, shapes the local climate. Soils combine Pleistocene lake clays with older sandstones and marls. Cabernet Sauvignon is planted on the higher slopes, with Merlot and native varieties lower down, and the estate is certified organic. It also keeps a nursery of native grapes, including Foglia Tonda and Sanforte.

The cellar

Enologists Maurizio Castelli and Mery Ferrara lead the winemaking. The cellar, completed in 2020 and set into the hillside, holds concrete tulip-shaped tanks made in the Veneto alongside French oak barriques, and 2020 was the first vintage made entirely in the new facility. Only estate fruit is used, tended and harvested by hand, and ageing runs from about 6 months for Lungolago to 14 months for Viandante.

The wines

The estate makes three wines, all IGT. Viandante is a red led by Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot. Pristinvm is a red from native grapes: Ciliegiolo, Pugnitello, Sanforte and Foglia Tonda. Lungolago is a white of Chardonnay with Grechetto, fermented in barrel, with part of the wine then moved to concrete or steel. In the United States the wines are sold through the estate's online shop.