Paolo Bea
References in the archives of Montefalco, the beautiful hill town in Umbria, document the presence of the Bea family in this locality as early as 1500. This tiny estate is the classic Italian fattoria, producing wine, raising farm animals for trade and home consumption and working the land to produce olives, fruits and vegetables. To this day, the Bea family raises and produces much of what they consume on a daily basis. Paolo Bea, the senior member of the family, is the guiding force behind the production of this series of intense and idiosyncratic wines. He is assisted by his two sons, Giuseppe, who farms the vineyards, and Giampiero, who assists in the vinification and is responsible for all commercial aspects of the winery.
The entire property encompasses 15 hectares: 5 of which are dedicated to the vineyards, 2 to olives, and the remainder to the fruits, vegetables and grains that are grown. Sagrantino is the predominant grape, covering 60% of the vineyard surface. The remaining 40% is planted to Sangiovese and Montepulciano, with a small parcel planted to several white varieties. The vineyards are cultivated organically, all grapes are harvested manually and all wines are bottled without fining or filtration.
Umbria, located in Central Italy, is essentially a southern extension of Tuscany with Lazio to the south and the Marche to the east. Umbria centers around the production of crisp, dry whites and deeply colored and expressive reds. Umbria, often overlooked and outshined by its more popular region to the north (Tuscany), provides delightfully undervalued wines. The landscape of Umbria is characterized by hills and mountains. Therefore, a large number of different grape varieties thrive on the diverse soil types as well as a lot of experiences to discover this vast terroir. Special Mediterranean microclimates in the area of the Trasimeno Lake in the east and in the Tiber valley ensure an optimal ripening of the grapes. The daytime and nighttime differences in temperature, especially at higher altitudes, are ideal conditions for producing elegant, mineral wines with the potential to mature.
Giampiero and Giuseppe Bea are tours de force within the winemaking world, for they- like their father Paolo- strictly adhere to viticultural and winemaking credos unlike most producers. Below are these credos:
MAKE NOTE of the weather of the seasons to understand the territory and the cycles of nature
LIMIT TO a minimum the treatment in the vineyard;
TRUST TO nature the transformation of the grapes into wine;
AVOID whenever possible the actions of man do not dominate nature.
In synthesis our idea of production is take care to:
RESPECT nature, contributing with our work to maintain the equilibrium between flora and fauna of the original land;
SAFEGUARD the taste of the land avoiding the use of chemicals to synthesise in the vineyard and cantina;
PAY ATTENTION to the cycles of nature without haste, avoid every artificial acceleration;
PRODUCE sound products for our health.
Thankfully, these principles have become far more commonplace today than they were thirty years prior, but Bea’s wines remain singular: boisterous, unabashedly wild expressions of their undulating, sun-drenched hills of origin, each new vintage of which is eagerly anticipated by a legion of loyal clients. Giampiero’s wines always proudly display their vintage, and he pointedly resists striving for a consistent “product” from year to year. By adhering to the above, the Bea Family crafts some of the most thoughtful, intentional, and authentic wines from any region in every vintage. Bea may be seen as a “natural” winemaker; at Haus, we just view him as a damn good winemaker who makes incredible wines that everyone should experience.