The Wine
Winemaker Leonardo Bussoletti was born and raised in the small Italian town of Narni. It's history dates back to the Roman era, when it was called Narnia - and it's where C.S. Lewis was when he got the inspiration for the Chronicles of Narnia! This wine is named Asla, after the Lion character in the Lewis' book.
The wine comes from the obscure but delicious red Italian varietal called Ciliegiolo (chee lee-yay gee-oh low, kind of a 4-syllable word). It is a wine that's affordable and easy to love, offering aromas and flavors of cherries, herbs and warm earthy notes. One of our most popular crowd pleasers.
Pair with cured meats/salumi, herbed cheeses, pork or beef and anything with truffles. Only 500 cases produced!
The Winery
Though the wines of Umbria live in the shadow of neighboring Tuscany, Bussoletti and his wife (he runs the winery, she runs the kitchen and agritourismo) have raised the bar for Umbrian producers! A life-long advocate of Umbria, a visit to their facility is already memorable and becoming ever more-so, with a swimming pool and retail facility being added to the guest cottages and dining / hospitality area.
It may seem trite to say your business is giuded by three things - craftsmandship, uniqueness and sustainability, but when Leonardo says it, and demonstrates these beliefs at every turn, there is no denying it is a winning formula.
Leonardo spent the early years of his career traveling to the world's fine wine regions and working to learn everything he could. Today his efforts are because he rides the shoulders of giants - winemakers who went before him and shared their knowledge and passion.
