The Solitary & the Sea
Carmina Arvalia is a tiny, radical estate in the heart of Bolgheri — the most famous Super Tuscan territory on earth — that refuses to play by the rules of fame. On just one hectare of vineyard at Podere Trinci, planted in 2003 by Pasquale Perrone, a retired teacher from Salento who transferred a planting right preserved for over fifty years, his daughter Maria Chiara now produces approximately 1,500 to 2,000 bottles annually of a single wine: a Bordeaux blend with a Tuscan soul, made with organic farming, indigenous yeasts, no filtration, no clarification, and minimal sulfites. The vineyard sits at only 20 meters above sea level on the slopes of the Segalari hill, protected by olive windbreaks and the hills themselves, in a 3-hectare rectangle of land that has appeared on maps since 1600. This is not a Bolgheri for collectors or critics seeking polish and power; it is a Bolgheri for those who understand that the greatest wines often come from the smallest places, made by those who work alone, in solitude, with nothing but their hands and their conviction.
The Teacher & the Lawyer
The story of Carmina Arvalia is the story of a father and daughter — a retired teacher from Salento and a lawyer from Bolgheri — united by a vineyard and a vision that was radical for its time. In 2003, Pasquale Perrone, a teacher who had spent his career in the classrooms of southern Italy, decided in retirement to finally practice the agronomic and enological principles he had long believed in. He left his native Salento and transferred a planting right — preserved for over fifty years in the sandy soils of the south — to the ancient Podere Trinci in Castagneto Carducci, on the slopes of the Segalari hill in the heart of the Bolgheri DOC territory. The land belonged to his wife's family, the Trinci, who had cultivated olives, peaches, vines, and grain there since the 1600s, their name appearing on maps and in the history of the region, including a connection to Giovanni Trinci, friend of the poet Giosuè Carducci after whom the town is named.
Pasquale's approach was revolutionary for Bolgheri in 2003 — a time when the appellation was becoming synonymous with expensive, internationally styled wines made with heavy technology and marketing muscle. He planted Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese, and Syrah according to the Bolgheri DOC regulations, but his methods were anything but conventional: copper and sulfur only, cover cropping, manual care of each vine, minimal sulfites, no chemical herbicides, no synthetic fertilizers, no forced irrigation. These were principles that would later be called "organic" and "natural," but for Pasquale they were simply the right way to farm — the way his ancestors had farmed in Salento, the way he believed wine should be made. The vineyard was tiny — less than one hectare — but it was his, and every vine was tended by his own hands.
In 2009, Pasquale passed away, leaving the vineyard and the dream to his daughter Maria Chiara Perrone. She was thirty years old, a lawyer by profession, with no formal training in viticulture or enology. But she had grown up with her father's radical principles, and she chose to continue his work — not as a hobby or a side project, but as a life's calling. "Her knowledge she makes in the field, always in solitude," as one Italian journalist wrote. She found support elsewhere and cultivated it stubbornly. Today, she works the vineyard alone, with occasional help, making every decision from pruning to harvest to fermentation to bottling. The estate remains tiny — still less than one hectare, still producing only 1,500 to 2,000 bottles per year — but the wine has gained recognition among those who value authenticity over polish, terroir over technology, and the solitary voice of a woman who speaks through her wine rather than through marketing.
Today, Carmina Arvalia stands as one of the most authentic and radical expressions of Bolgheri — a name that has become a global brand, yet one where Carmina Arvalia remains stubbornly outside the commercial mainstream. The wine is listed by The Grape Reset, RAW WINE, Raisin, Astor Wines, Original Italia, Vineria Moderna, and a growing network of natural wine enthusiasts who recognize its unique character. The 2016 vintage was described by WineNews as "a lively wine yet full of calm, exactly like the voice of the woman who produces it" — "intimately Bolgherese for its wild, bloody, and three-dimensional character." This is not a wine that flatters; it is a wine that protects the territory, that speaks of the Segalari hill, the clay soils, the olive windbreaks, and the solitary work of a daughter honoring her father's radical dream.
"A lively wine yet full of calm, exactly like the voice of the woman who produces it. Intimately Bolgherese for its wild, bloody, and three-dimensional character."
— WineNews, on Carmina Arvalia 2016
Bolgheri & the Segalari Hill
Carmina Arvalia's vineyard is located at Podere Trinci, in the locality of Fonte di Foiano, on the slopes of the Segalari hill in Castagneto Carducci, in the heart of the Bolgheri DOC territory, province of Livorno, Tuscany. This is one of the most celebrated wine regions in the world — the birthplace of the Super Tuscan movement, where Sassicaia, Ornellaia, and Masseto have established global reputations and stratospheric prices. Yet Carmina Arvalia occupies a radically different position within this landscape: a 3-hectare rectangle of land, documented on historical maps since 1600, of which less than one hectare is planted to vines. The vineyard sits at only 20 meters above sea level — low, close to the Tyrrhenian Sea, benefiting from the maritime influence that moderates temperatures and provides the cool breezes essential for preserving acidity in this warm Mediterranean climate.
The terroir is defined by its clay soils, its proximity to the sea, and its protection by natural features. The soils are medium-clayey — a mix of clay and sand that provides both water retention and drainage, forcing the vines to work for their nutrients while protecting them from drought stress. The vineyard is on a gentle slope with excellent sun exposure, protected on one side by the hills and on the other by a windbreak of olive trees — the classic Tuscan landscape of vines and olives coexisting. The Bolgheri climate is Mediterranean, with hot, dry summers and mild winters, but the maritime influence and the ventilation provided by the surrounding hills create conditions that are more balanced than the interior of Tuscany. The result is a terroir that can produce wines of both power and elegance, structure and freshness — though at Carmina Arvalia, the emphasis is always on the latter, on drinkability and authenticity rather than extraction and opulence.
Farming at Carmina Arvalia has been organic since the first vine was planted in 2003 — not as a certification to be obtained, but as a principle that Pasquale Perrone believed in and that Maria Chiara continues. No chemical herbicides, no synthetic fertilizers, no systemic treatments, no forced irrigation. The vineyard work is entirely manual: pruning, canopy management, harvest, and selection all done by hand. The vines are trained using the cordon spur system and the traditional Tuscan bush vine (alberello toscano) — 6,200 plants in total, each one cared for individually. The cover crop is managed naturally, and the by-products of winemaking are returned to the soil as compost, completing the agricultural cycle. The estate also produces extra-virgin olive oil from the ancient olive groves that surround the vineyard, a further expression of the Trinci family's agricultural heritage and the traditional polyculture of the Bolgheri landscape.
The grape varieties reflect both the Bolgheri DOC regulations and Pasquale Perrone's vision of a Bordeaux blend with Tuscan character. Merlot is the dominant variety — approximately 45% of the blend — providing the wine's structure, roundness, and plum-like fruit. Cabernet Sauvignon contributes approximately 20%, adding cassis, tobacco, and tannic backbone. Cabernet Franc adds approximately 10%, bringing herbaceous notes, floral aromatics, and a kind of savory complexity. Sangiovese, the great indigenous grape of Tuscany, makes up approximately 20%, lending acidity, cherry fruit, and a distinctly Italian dimension to what would otherwise be a purely international blend. Syrah, in smaller proportion, adds spice, pepper, and a wild, earthy note. Together, these varieties create a wine that is both Bolgherese and unique — a Super Tuscan that refuses the superlative, an artisanal wine in a region of industrial luxury, a natural wine in a land of technological ambition.
Castagneto Carducci, Segalari hill, Fonte di Foiano, Bolgheri DOC, province of Livorno, Tuscany. 3-hectare rectangle documented on maps since 1600. Vineyard: less than 1 hectare at 20 meters altitude. Maritime influence from Tyrrhenian Sea moderates temperatures, provides cool breezes. Gentle slope with excellent sun exposure. Protected by hills on one side, olive windbreaks on the other. Mediterranean climate: hot dry summers, mild winters. Classic Tuscan landscape of vines and olives. "Strada del Vino e dell'Olio — Costa degli Etruschi" wine route. Etruscan heritage. Trinci family history since 1600s.
Medium-clayey soils — mix of clay and sand. Clay provides water retention and structure. Sand ensures drainage, preventing waterlogging. Vines forced to work for nutrients, producing concentration. Maritime influence adds saline minerality. Gentle slope ensures good water runoff and sun exposure. Soils imprint wines with earthy, savory, mineral character. Distinctive Bolgherese depth without heaviness. The struggle in clay produces fruit of authenticity rather than opulence. Soils that demand patience and reward with complexity.
Organic and natural farming since first planting in 2003. No chemical herbicides, no synthetic fertilizers, no systemic treatments, no forced irrigation. Copper and sulfur only. Cover cropping managed naturally. By-products of winemaking returned to soil as compost — closed agricultural cycle. Entirely manual labor: pruning, canopy management, harvest, selection. 6,200 plants trained in cordon spur and alberello toscano. Each vine cared for individually. Extra-virgin olive oil from ancient surrounding groves. Traditional polyculture: vines, olives, peaches, grain. A choice made before "organic" and "natural" were marketing terms.
Merlot ~45% — structure, roundness, plum-like fruit. Cabernet Sauvignon ~20% — cassis, tobacco, tannic backbone. Cabernet Franc ~10% — herbaceous notes, floral aromatics, savory complexity. Sangiovese ~20% — acidity, cherry fruit, distinctly Italian dimension. Syrah — spice, pepper, wild earthy note. Blend creates wine both Bolgherese and unique. Super Tuscan that refuses the superlative. Artisanal in region of industrial luxury. Natural in land of technological ambition. Varieties chosen for ability to express terroir with authenticity and drinkability.
Indigenous Yeasts & Three Years in Steel
At Carmina Arvalia, the cellar philosophy is one of radical patience and minimal intervention — a rejection of the oak-barrel ageing, technological manipulation, and stylistic homogenization that defines much of Bolgheri's commercial wine production. Maria Chiara Perrone's approach is guided by the principles her father established: respect for the grapes, respect for the terroir, and the conviction that the best wine is the one that needs the least help. The vinification is simple and traditional: grapes are harvested by hand at perfect maturity, immediately processed to preserve integrity and health. Fermentation occurs spontaneously with indigenous yeasts — no commercial yeasts, no enzymes, no additives of any kind. The cap is managed with soft manual punch-downs (follature), and maceration on the skins lasts approximately eight to ten days — enough to extract color, tannin, and complexity without over-extraction or heaviness. The wine is then pressed using a traditional vertical press (torchio tradizionale) and transferred to stainless steel tanks for ageing.
The ageing period is extraordinarily long for a wine of this style: at least three years in stainless steel, with careful racking (travasi) to naturally clarify the wine without fining or filtration. This extended steel ageing is a deliberate choice that sets Carmina Arvalia apart from the oak-driven Bolgheri mainstream. Stainless steel preserves the wine's freshness, purity, and primary fruit character, allowing the terroir — the clay soils, the maritime influence, the olive groves — to speak without the masking effect of wood. The long ageing also allows the wine to develop complexity and integration naturally, through time and patience rather than through technological acceleration. After the three years in steel, the wine is bottled by hand and aged in bottle for at least six months before release. No filtration, no clarification, no stabilization — just the fruit of the land, preserved in glass.
"Carmina Arvalia Toscana IGT Rosso" — The Solitary Dancer: The Carmina Arvalia is the estate's sole wine — a single, profound expression of Bolgheri terroir made by a solitary woman working less than one hectare of vines. It is a wine that defies the expectations of what a Bolgheri red should be: it is not polished, not powerful in the conventional sense, not designed for critics or collectors. It is wild, bloody, three-dimensional — a "solitary dancer from the beginning," as WineNews described it. In the glass, it is intense ruby red with garnet reflections. The nose offers dried rose, bergamot, plum, undergrowth, bark, blood orange, and tamarind — a complex, shifting bouquet that evolves continuously in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied, with fresh, rough-edged tannins, vibrant acidity, and a long, savory, mineral finish that leaves the breath perfumed with spice and earth. It is a wine that demands slow, meditative drinking — "a frank glass that requires slow and meditated consumption," as one retailer notes. Serve at 16–18°C, with prior oxygenation recommended. Ages beautifully for 5–10 years. ~€25–€35 / ~$28–$38.
Vessels & Ageing: Carmina Arvalia works exclusively with stainless steel for fermentation and ageing — a radical choice in a region where French oak barriques are the status symbol and the default vessel for premium reds. The steel tanks are clean, neutral, and unobtrusive, allowing the wine to develop on its own terms without the influence of wood, toast, or oxidative ageing. The three-year ageing period in steel is extraordinarily long, reflecting Maria Chiara's patience and her belief that time, not technology, is the best tool for winemaking. The racking process — transferring the wine from one tank to another to separate it from sediment — occurs naturally, without fining agents or filtration aids. The result is a wine that is clear but not stripped, stable but not sterilized, aged but not oxidized. After bottling, the wine rests for at least six months in glass, allowing it to integrate, settle, and prepare for the moment it meets the drinker. Every bottle is filled, capped, and labeled by hand — a final act of care in a process that has been hands-on from the first pruning to the last cork.
"Carmina Arvalia Toscana IGT Rosso" — "Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese & Syrah from Less Than One Hectare on the Segalari Hill — Hand-Harvested, Indigenous Yeast Fermentation, 8–10 Days Maceration, Three Years in Stainless Steel, No Filtration, No Clarification — The Wild, Bloody, Solitary Dancer of Bolgheri"
The Carmina Arvalia is the estate's sole wine, its only expression, its complete statement — the single red that encapsulates everything Maria Chiara Perrone believes about organic farming, spontaneous fermentation, and the transformative power of patience, solitude, and stainless steel in a land of oak and opulence. It is not merely a Bolgheri red; it is a testament to the beauty of the Segalari hill when cultivated with obsessive organic care, the courage of a daughter who chose to honor her father's radical dream, and the enduring magic of wines that refuse to flatter, that protect the territory rather than exploit it. The name evokes the ancient Roman carmen — a song, a spell, a ritual — and the arvalia — the field, the earth, the agricultural sacred. It is a wine that sings of the land, that casts a spell of authenticity, that ritualizes the act of slow, meditative drinking.
The viticulture is organic and natural — no chemical herbicides, no synthetic fertilizers, no systemic treatments, no forced irrigation. Maria Chiara works alone, with occasional help, focusing on maintaining healthy vines on the clay and sandy slopes of the Segalari hill — creating an environment where 6,200 plants of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese, and Syrah can express their full potential of dried rose, bergamot, plum, undergrowth, and mineral complexity. The vines are trained in cordon spur and alberello toscano, each one cared for individually, pruned by hand, harvested by hand, selected by hand. The cover crop is managed naturally, and the by-products of winemaking are returned to the soil, completing the agricultural cycle that the Trinci family has maintained since the 1600s.
In the cellar, the grapes are harvested at perfect maturity and immediately processed to preserve integrity and health. Fermentation occurs spontaneously with indigenous yeasts — no commercial yeasts, no enzymes, no additives. The cap is managed with soft manual punch-downs, and maceration on the skins lasts eight to ten days — enough to extract color, tannin, and complexity without over-extraction. The wine is pressed using a traditional vertical press and transferred to stainless steel tanks, where it ages for at least three years. This extended steel ageing is a deliberate, radical choice: no oak, no barriques, no toast, no oxidative influence. Just time, patience, and the natural evolution of wine in a neutral vessel. The wine is racked carefully to clarify naturally, without fining or filtration. Minimal sulfites are used to protect the wine's integrity — doses that were revolutionary in Bolgheri in 2003 and that remain modest today.
In the glass, it is intense ruby red with garnet reflections — vibrant, alive, wild. The nose is complex and evolving: dried rose, bergamot, plum, undergrowth, bark, blood orange, and tamarind — impressions that alternate and persist in the fresh, rough-edged sip, leaving the breath perfumed with spice, earth, and the memory of the sea. There are notes of wild cherry, a hint of tobacco, and a subtle, bloody, iron-rich minerality that speaks of the clay soils and the solitary work of the vineyard. The palate is medium-bodied, with firm yet approachable tannins, vibrant acidity, and a long, savory, mineral finish that seems to echo the Bolgheri landscape itself — the olive groves, the maritime breeze, the Etruscan hills, and the solitary dancer who tends them all. It is a wine of great personality — a wine that proves that when Bordeaux varieties and Sangiovese are grown organically on clay soils at sea level, harvested with care, and made with honest, patient, steel-aged minimal intervention, the result is a Tuscan red of both wild pleasure and profound authenticity, of both immediate drinkability and genuine ageing potential.
The Carmina Arvalia is a wine of the table and the contemplative evening — it pairs beautifully with grilled meats, aged cheeses, wild boar ragù, or simply with good bread and the estate's own extra-virgin olive oil as the sun sets over the Tyrrhenian Sea. Serve at 16–18°C, with prior oxygenation recommended to allow the wine to open and reveal its full complexity. It will reward careful cellaring, developing more truffle, tobacco, dried fruit, and mineral depth over 5–10 years. Every bottle is a testament to the power of a father's radical vision, the beauty of organic farming on ancient family land, and the enduring magic of wines that honor the teacher, the lawyer, the solitary dancer, and the wild, bloody, three-dimensional soul of Bolgheri. ~€25–€35 / ~$28–$38.
The Carmina Arvalia Range
Maria Chiara Perrone produces a single wine from less than one hectare of organic vineyard at Podere Trinci, on the slopes of the Segalari hill in Castagneto Carducci, Bolgheri DOC. All grapes are estate-grown, hand-harvested, and made with spontaneous indigenous yeast fermentation. No commercial yeasts, no enzymes, no additives, no clarification, no filtration. Minimal sulfites. The wine is aged for at least three years in stainless steel — a radical choice in a region dominated by oak — with careful manual racking, then bottled by hand and aged in bottle for at least six months. The result is a single, profound expression of Bolgheri terroir: wild, bloody, three-dimensional, and deeply personal. Approximately 1,500 to 2,000 bottles are produced annually, depending on the vintage. This is not a portfolio; it is a monolith — one wine, one voice, one solitary dance. Prices are approximate and in USD/EUR.
Carmina Arvalia produces a single wine — approximately 1,500 to 2,000 bottles annually — from less than one hectare of organic vineyard at Podere Trinci, on the slopes of the Segalari hill in Castagneto Carducci, Bolgheri DOC, Tuscany. The vineyard was planted in 2003 by Pasquale Perrone, a retired teacher from Salento who transferred a planting right preserved for over fifty years, and is now continued by his daughter Maria Chiara Perrone, a lawyer who learned viticulture and enology in the field, always in solitude. All vineyard work is manual. Farming is organic and natural: copper and sulfur only, cover cropping, no chemical herbicides, no synthetic fertilizers, no forced irrigation. The wine is made with spontaneous indigenous yeast fermentation, 8–10 days skin maceration with soft manual punch-downs, traditional vertical press, and at least three years ageing in stainless steel — no oak, no barriques. No clarification, no filtration, minimal sulfites. The estate also produces extra-virgin olive oil from ancient olive groves. The property — a 3-hectare rectangle documented on maps since 1600 — belongs to the Trinci family, connected to Giovanni Trinci, friend of poet Giosuè Carducci. Distributed by The Grape Reset, RAW WINE, Raisin, Astor Wines, Original Italia, Vineria Moderna, Weimax, Wine-Searcher, and select natural wine retailers worldwide.
-
Astor Wines & Spirits (USA)
Wine-Searcher (international marketplace)
Vivino (merchant listings, international)