A steep road, with countless potholes and numerous bends, leads to the Colmello winery, Pat del Colmel, just above the charming town of Asolo, in Castelcucco (province of Treviso). The Colmello winery's 17 hectares of vineyards extend across the hills of the municipalities of Castelcucco, Asolo, Monfumo, and Maser, in the Asolo Prosecco DOCG Superiore district. The area is protected by the Asolo Prosecco DOCG Superiore and Rosso Asolo Montello DOC labels. The vineyards open out like an amphitheater, dominating the hills of this stunning corner of the Veneto foothills. Here, the unique soil composition, mild climate, and enviable sun exposure have always provided the ideal conditions for optimal grape cultivation and the production of high-quality wines. Harvesting is entirely manual, with minimal contact with the vines. Pat del Colmel was one of the first wineries in the area to obtain SQNPI certification. An institution more than a farm. Gabriella and Lino, along with their son Matteo, the fifth generation, can therefore be considered living monuments, testaments to fine viticulture unconstrained by trends. Their wines have their greatest value in their personality. The Asolo area was once rich in vineyards, mainly Glera, Bianchetta, Verdiso, Marzemina Bianca, and the rarer Recantina. For the Forner family, nicknamed Pat, winemaking began in 1875 with Pina and Pietro Forner. Their love for the land and its fruits has been passed down from generation to generation, right up to the present day with Gabriella, Lino, and their son Matteo.
Today, the father, with the help of his son, passionately manages the company. In addition to producing Prosecco Asolo Superiore DOCG, the Pat del Colmel winery cultivates native grape varieties, carefully preserved over time and rediscovered among the old vines, such as Bianchetta, Rabbiosa, Marzemina Bianca, and Recantina. This endangered heritage has been brought back to life in a dedicated space in the new underground cellar, designed with respect for tradition yet innovative in its choice of materials and compact size. A distinctive feature of Pat del Colmel is its longstanding belief in the combination of promoting native grape varieties and modern winemaking techniques that safeguard and enhance their high quality. Recantina in particular, an ancient grape variety still famous during the times of the Venetian Republic, not only for its organoleptic qualities but also for its long shelf life during long shiploads. A wine that the Forner family rediscovered, understood, and entered into the National Register of Grape Varieties, and was the first to market in 2008. A still wine with a fruity, ruby red color and intense aromas, it requires extensive aging (three to four years) in oak barrels and six months of bottle aging. Production is around 10,000 bottles per year, in addition to the Colmello Estate's other wines, from Merlot to Cabernet, from Prosecco to native whites, for a total annual production of approximately 100,000 bottles.
Furthermore, the Veneto Region has included "Recantina" in its initiative to rediscover old grape varieties, after testing the vine's DNA. Cultivated for at least 400 years in the Treviso area, it disappeared in the early 20th century and was recovered after extensive research. Rabbiosa is a bottle-fermented version of another grape unknown to most, a variety that had been virtually extinct since the late 1800s. Lino's project to re-evaluate this grape began when an anti-fraud officer, during a visit to the winery, discovered a bottle bearing the name of this grape, which was illegal.
After a check by the employee, who found no evidence of Rabbiosa's presence online, not only did he not issue a report, but he recommended registering the name, which Lino did the following day. From the 1.5-acre Pat del Colmel vineyard, approximately 3,000 bottles are produced annually, plus another thousand magnums. A captivating wine with a deep yellow color and aromas of dried apricot, baked apple, apple strudel, and a hint of grapefruit. On the palate, it is enveloping, well-balanced, minerally, and savory, with a good persistence and a light tannin finish. A light caramel aftertaste is perceptible, and the typical acidity of this grape is smoothed out thanks to the proper ripening of the grapes. Sipping a glass of wine, we're talking about a vineyard where yields are approximately 60-80 quintals per hectare, and integrated pest management is practiced without chemical weedkillers or fertilizers.
