n the early 1700’s, an arranged marriage brought together two of Umbria’s Noble families combining their estates to form Conestabile della Staffa. The Conestabile families originated from Orvieto, the southwestern corner of Umbria just north... Read More

n the early 1700’s, an arranged marriage brought together two of Umbria’s Noble families combining their estates to form Conestabile della Staffa. The Conestabile families originated from Orvieto, the southwestern corner of Umbria just north of Rome sometime in the middle ages while the Della Staffa family dates back to antiquity and is from Perugia, just several kilometers from the winery. These families along with the estate they created are a window into the long and complicated history of both the region and its storied wines.

Conestabile della Staffa prospered through the 1800’s with over 1700 acres of land planted to a mix of fruits, vegetables, grains and of course well over 200 acres of vines. It was the most important property in the Trasimeno-Perugino area [producing an astounding 1,300,000 bottles a year. Over 20 families related to the early Counts lived in the small hamlet of Monte Melino next to the estate.

The World Wars changed everything. Post-war, production started to slip due to a lack of labor as many country folk were clamoring to move into the big cities. The last vintage produced from the old cantina was in 1956. From 1956 until 2015, no wine was produced on the property, instead the grapes were sold off to the local co-op for this entire period.

Today the estate is being reborn under the leadership of perhaps Italy's most exciting winemaker Danilo Marucci, the Yoda of Italian Natural Wine. He has consulted and worked side by side with many of Italy's most buzzed about producers imparting his voluminous knowledge and inspiration. Conestabile della Staffa is his greatest undertaking and quite a bit more personal. Della Straffa La Staffa is of his wife's family ancestry, this is made clear every time Danilo speaks of the property. He thinks of himself as merely a guest, married to the vines and his wife Alessandra's noble lineage.

The modern estate consists of over 12 hectares of vines, many of which have been in disrepair for over a decade, but were planted in the early 1970's. The fact that no synthetic chemical has ever touched these vines suits Danilo style perfectly. The wines are made in the most natural way, adhering to methods that Danilo has learned over the course of 20+ years of winemaking and farming experience from some of Italy's great 'masters' (Lino Maga, Eduardo Valentini, Cappellano, Vittorio Mattioli and others). He focuses on the region's native grapes such as Grechetto, Trebbiano, Ciliegiolo, sangiovese, Gamay del Trasimeno, canaiolo and sagrantino. No yeast, no chemical corrections, no sulfur. Zero modern technology.