Liguria

In the Ligurian dialect, bansigu means vigour, verve and could not describe the character of this lively, typically Mediterranean red better. It is primarily made from Granaccia, an autochthonous grape that, together with Rossese, Barbera and Cinsault, ensures great juiciness and freshness.

The Riviera Ligure di Ponente is not an easy landscape. There is little space between the sea and the Alps – the vineyards climb up terraces of dry stone walls, the slopes are steep, the paths winding, the harvest almost exclusively by hand. It was in this solitude that Riccardo Bruna began bottling his family's Pigato in 1970 – a bold decision at the time for a grape variety that hardly anyone knew. Majé is Bruna's most accessible Pigato: from the iron-rich, argillaceous soils around Ortovero and Ranzo, 200 to 300 metres above sea level, just 20 kilometres from the coast. Gentle pressing, fermentation and ageing in steel – the result is the character of this terroir in its most direct form.

In Liguria, the question of whether Pigato and Vermentino are the same grape variety is answered with a Ligurian shoulder movement. Bruna cultivates both, appreciates both and gives each its own space. Vermentino grows in Valle Arroscia on loose, stony soil made from weathered sedimentary rock – lighter and more permeable than the Pigato plots, aromatic earlier, with a characteristic saltiness. 100% Vermentino, hand-picked, gentle pressing, fermentation in steel at a controlled temperature, short bottle ageing.

Burdigai is the Ligurian dialect for the shrubs of the Mediterranean maquis – the fragrant, wild vegetation that occupies every free spot in western Liguria that is not cultivated by man. This small, isolated terrace facing west is surrounded by it – and it is here that a grape variety grows that nobody can fully explain. It is alternatively called "Franseise" because it apparently originates from the south of France. Nobody knows who planted the vines. Nobody knows how old they are. Not even the Bruna family knows their exact origin. Nevertheless, the vines have been cultivated and cared for over decades – out of that instinctive respect for old vines that good winegrowers never give up. At some point, the family council decided to press an independent rosé from them.

The grapes come mainly from the historic Russeghine vineyard above the town of Ranzo Borgo. The character of the Pigato here is of particular depth and minerality, which is due to the exceptional terroir and the long maturation on the fine lees. Bright straw yellow in colour with light green reflections. Fragrant nose of herbs, yellow fruit and traces of pine resin. Full and long-lasting flavour with beautiful spiciness and aromas of citrus and almond, then again this beguiling, deep minerality at the end. SUPERIORE.DE

Pulin is the result of the rediscovery of the Granaccia grape, which is one of the most valuable in the small wine region of Liguria and was almost extinct. The wines, produced in very small quantities, have an excellent structure, Mediterranean vigour and remarkable ageing potential.

Riccardo Bruna was U Baccan – the boss, the patron, the head. That's what the people in Ranzo called him. He was the one who started bottling his family's pigato in 1970, when nobody else was doing it. He was the one who managed the terraces, repaired the walls and brought up the daughters. Francesca gave up her career as an engineer, Annamaria as a pharmacist – both returned to continue running the estate. The estate bears his name, this wine bears his nickname. The grapes for the U Baccan come exclusively from the oldest plots above Ranzo – vines over fifty years old, on soils with iron oxide and manganese inclusions, which give the soil its characteristic red colour and the wine its depth. The result, says Ian d'Agata in "Native Wine Grapes of Italy", is the paradigmatic Pigato of all: balsamic and rich. Fermentation in steel, ageing in large wooden barrels – the wood as a resting pole, not as a flavour carrier. The wine opens slowly, needs air and time.