Blog: Tenuta Le Velette | Umbria

Tenute Le Velette has been owned by the Bottai family for almost 200 years. It is known above all for its Orvieto Classico Secco, a strong, full-bodied wine that does not correspond at all to the current fashionable taste for slim, light whites. And at Le Velette they make it a point to preserve these characteristic features and to emphasize them even more. In recent years, however, despite the adherence to the classic style of wine, much has happened on the estate: the wines have become finer, but at the same time have acquired a much more pronounced structure. Corrado Bottai, assisted by the young oenologist Gabriella Tuni, is making great efforts to expand the range of wines offered. Since 1989 there is the Calanco, a Cuvee from 80 percent Sangiovese and 20 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, which is aged - depending on the vintage - between 10 and 13 months in barrique barrels.

Tenuta le Velette is located in the center of the production area of Orvieto Classico. The farm is located on a hill of tufa, with almost two kilometers always in sight of the Cathedral of Orvieto. The winery stands on historical ground, crisscrossed by numerous passageways and caves dating back to the Etruscan period. The main feature is the production of white Orvieto, which is made from a cuvee of five vines. More recently, the Rosso Orvietano DOC of the house Le Velette gained increasing importance. In the subtitle it is still called Rossa di Spicca. This in memory of the fact that this wine used to be called simply 'Spicca', because its DOC status is still quite young.