Mater Matuta 2011, the Dawn of Lazio

Mater Matuta is an ancient Italic deity, goddess of the Dawn, protector of procreation and fertility. The veneration of this deity was a common practice in central Italy, so much so that a temple was dedicated to her in the ancient city of Satricum, near Le Ferriere close to Nettuno, about 50 km south of Rome. In the second half of the last century, Dino Santarelli, who was fascinated by the Agro Pontino, founded the winery Casale del Giglio, right at Le Ferriere and not far from Satricum.

This territory represented, compared to other areas of Lazio and Italy, a virgin environment from a viticultural standpoint, waiting to be explored and potentially used for experimentation. A territory that, before the land reclamation works of nearly a century ago, was a expanse of marshes and swamps. The absence of an oenological past in the area thus became the decisive stimulus toward innovation for the fledgling winery. In 1985, the research and development project Casale del Giglio was launched, authorized by the Agricultural Department of the Lazio Region. Through this experimentation, important results were achieved, including the planting on the estate's lands of around sixty different experimental grape varieties.

The viticultural models that inspired this research are those practiced in Bordeaux, Australia, and California, where vineyards are particularly exposed to maritime influence. Much like the Agro Pontino, which benefits from the influence of the Mar Tirreno. According to the philosophy of Casale del Giglio, the future development of viticulture and winemaking lies not only in consolidating the image of areas with great tradition, but also in achieving, through appropriate viticultural and oenological choices, high-level production in territories still little known for their qualitative, viticultural, and oenological potential.

The first significant results of this research were validated by the European Community with the authorization to cultivate in the province of Latina, starting from 1990, newly recommended grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Petit Verdot, Sauvignon, Syrah, and others thereafter. Today, Casale del Giglio has converted all of its 160 hectares of vineyard to row training and introduced new varieties characterized by a high degree of qualitative interaction with its territory.

The red grapes Syrah and, to a lesser extent, Petit Verdot, introduced through experimentation, contribute to the blend of Mater Matuta, the wine we will discuss today, which takes its name from the ancient deity of the area. A wine that has become one of the most prestigious red wines of Lazio, in which Syrah and Petit Verdot achieve such harmony that it stimulates beautiful sensations on both the nose and the palate.

The grapes of both varieties are harvested in excellent ripeness, sometimes with a slight drying for the Syrah. The Syrah is vinified through fermentation with indigenous yeasts using the submerged cap technique for a period of 18–20 days, during which periodic delestage operations are carried out, mainly in the initial phases. In this way, the Syrah contributes complexity and character to the Mater Matuta. The Petit Verdot, on the other hand, is vinified using plungers that allow for maximum extraction of tannins and other polyphenolic compounds. This produces a Petit Verdot of great structure, well suited to long aging.

After careful draining, where the movement of the grape marc occurs by gravity only, the wines are placed separately in new barrique for 22–24 months. They are then blended, followed by a further aging of an additional 10–12 months in bottle.

Let us now proceed to the tasting.

The color is an impenetrable ruby, slightly garnet at the rim, a sign of tertiarization still in its early stages. Very dense, it forms thick tears that struggle to slide down the walls of the glass. The nose is broad, with floral hints of violet and fruity notes that follow one another harmoniously. Aromas of cherry and plum jam emerge, then marasca cherry. Next come toasted notes of cocoa and coffee, a hint of tobacco, spice of pepper and cinnamon with a balsamic finish. On the palate, we perceive glyceric softness alongside a very fine tannin. A vigorous freshness then emerges, carrying notes of liquorice and balsamic tones through a very long finish.

It is a great wine, certainly long-lived and worth revisiting over time. Excellent paired with game-based dishes.