Boccadigabbia was once one of the “one hundred poderi,”
or individual farms, that made up the Amministrazione Bonaparte
of Civitanova, a vast agricultural estate that for over a century
was an influential example of modern, rational agriculture.
As in all the Amministrazione farms, in the old Boccadigabbia
farmhouse, or casa colonica, one can still see today a venerable
ceramic tile bearing the name of the podere and, above it, the
Napoleonic coat of arms, a crowned “N.”
Boccadigabbia, located in the contrada, or district, of Castelletta
di Fontespina, on the first hills that rise from the Adriatic
in the direction of the medieval borgo of Civitanova Alta, covers
today almost 10 hectares, all in vineyard. Its favourable southern
exposure and the mild, sea-side climate have always given Boccadigabbia
the reputation as an exceptional spot for viticulture.
In the late 1960s, when it was decided to exclusively cultivate
grapes on the property, the varieties planted were those traditional
to the production of local everyday wine; unfortunately, this
led to the loss of the older varieties, direct descendants of
those planted by Hallaire, Napoleon III’s agronomist-superintendent.
To recoup this historic loss, a renovation programme was launched
in 1986 to re-plant the French varieties that had been cultivated
there, such as cabernet, merlot, and pinot noir; the goal, now
reached, was to once again achieve the ancient, proverbial high
quality of the Amministrazione Bonaparte grapes.
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