Cantine Lunae Bosoni Riviera Ligure di Ponente Terreferme 2014

The continuation of the French Cote d’Azur into the Ligurian coastline stretches as far as Tuscany. Most Ligurian wines have traditionally been drunk locally and the steep, terraced vineyards, which don’t allow for mechanisation, mean that wine-making has never been that economical. One exception is the Colli di Luni DOC near La Spezia in far eastern Liguria nestling against the Apuan Alps (with peaks reaching almost 7,000ft at only 5km from the sea) and the river Magra plain.

The privileged position of the area offers a unique microclimate where the action of sea and mountain breezes, alternating between day and night, creates an optimal condition for growing vines and producing wines of excellence. Here the soil is of an alluvial/sandy nature in the valley, and leaner clay on the hills which supports varieties such as Vermentino with completely different taste profiles.

Cantine Lunae Bosoni is one of the star producers in the area, located between the Ligurian villages of Ortonovo and Castelnuova Magra on the border between Tuscany and Liguria. Owned by the Bosoni family for five generations, Paolo Bosoni took control of the family business from his father in 1966. The winery was named after the ancient Roman city called “Portus Lunae” (the Port of the Moon), one of the most important cities and ports in the Northern part of the ancient Roman Empire and wants to recall the millenary tradition of winemaking in this area (Roman ruins are still intact just a few miles from the winery).

Lunae currently represents the largest winery in Liguria with an annual total production of approximately 780,000 bottles. The Bosonis control 85 hectares of vineyards in prized locations (both on the hillside and on the plain), of which 50ha are family-owned, 15ha are long-term leases and the remaining 20ha are owned by local growers who, supported by the company’s technical staff, contribute their small grape production, keeping alive traditions and the unique quality of the wine.