Marco Ferrari

It is an element of French ‘je ne sais quoi’ that makes Marco Ferrari’s wines so intriguing. The establishment of his eponymous winery in 2019 was informed by time spent working in numerous vineyards in France and Italy that have collectively shaped his practices. Initial training in Franciacorta was followed by a move to the Northern Rhone where he worked with two formative vignerons namely Domaine Coursodon in Saint-Joseph and Frank Batlhazar in Cornas. This experience of working on challenging, vertiginous terroirs laid the foundation for a move to the Valtellina where Marco came to work with the Perego family at ArPePe.

It was only a matter of time until Marco was sufficiently inspired to strike out on his own, first in 2018 with 1 hectare before acquiring more parcels. For that is the case with Valtellina. The vertiginous nature of the terroir means that few vines are newly planted and instead old vineyards are acquired by new custodians. This means that for Marco some of his oldest vines are 80 years old and distributed across various plots in the valley.

This mélange of experience has equally carried through into Marco’s practices in the cellar. Biodynamic methods are employed throughout the entire process. He also employs a striking range of French inspired methods including whole cluster fermentation with native yeasts and the use of demi-muids from the Rhone. Combined with the minimal use of sulphur and careful ageing, the result are wines of a striking elegance that is often reminiscent of Pinot Noir but also reflective of the depth of flavour that this unique terroir engenders. And in a way, all of this is reflected in Marco’s label with its undulating lines reflecting the surrounding mountains, the steppes of Valtellina and an overarching love for beauty.