Mae Son by Matteo Furlani
Location: the village of Povo, Trento, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy
Owner & winemaker: Matteo Furlani
Vineyard area: Mae Son is 6 hectares, on the slopes of the Vigolana mountain; Cantina Furlani spans an additional 8 hectares in the same location, as well as on the hills overlooking the city of Trento
Vineyard management: practicing organic and biodynamic
Soils: limestone, clay, porphyry
Main varieties: Muller Thurgau, Pinot Noir, indigenous varieties including Pavana, Rosara, Negrara and Turca
Annual production (approx.): 50,000 bottles
Winemaking: hand-harvest only, grapes destemmed by hand, short maceration on the skins for some cuvées. Indigenous yeast only, stainless steel tanks and old barrels. No fining, no filter, no added SO2.
Fun facts:
- Matteo produces wine under two brands — Cantina Furlani, which focuses on spumante wines, and a new label called Mae Son, which is a collaboration with export manager Claudio Coronato and Jenny and Francois Selections; the label is a tribute to the importance of family and family work, as well as the careful craftsmanship of their wines
- Matteo is a third generation winemaker and vineyard owner, having first learned about winemaking from his father and grandfather
- He graduated from the Agricultural Institute of San Michele all’Adige with a degree in Agriculture and Oenology
- He has always been passionate about approaching the land with deep respect, farming organically (just like his dad and grandfather, Lino), and taking their work a step further by incorporating biodynamic practices
- He took over the alpine vineyards in the early 2000s, reopening his family’s small cellar after it had been closed for 20 years and helping transition the production from bulk wine to bottled artisanal wines
- In addition to growing grapes, he also grows and sells apples from his plots on the Dolomites
- Matteo and his wife Annalisa live with their daughter Alessia, son Edoardo, cats Sky and Penny and a German Shepherd dog named Tex
- The Mae Son labels were drawn by the talented John Shirk, Jenny & Francois Sales Representative and artist @picturehandz. He was inspired by hiking roadway signs typical of the Dolomites.
In 2022, third-generation winemaker Matteo Furlani began a new project in addition to his label Cantina Furlani: after years of selling grapes from a 6 hectare plot, he began searching for a way to bottle them for his own wines for the first time — and now is launching a new label, Mae Son, in collaboration with export manager Claudio Coronato and Jenny and Francois Selections. The label is a tribute to the importance of family and family work, as well as the careful craftsmanship of their wines. The name is a playful nod to the beginning of each family member’s name: M for Matteo, A for his wife, Annalisa, and their daughter, Alessia, and E for their son Edoardo. The pronunciation further sheds light on the intimate story behind the label: in English, it’s pronounced “my son,” while in French, it can be read as “maison,” meaning “my home.”
Matteo didn’t have to study winemaking in a classroom – he learned the art of it with his hands, working his family’s land in the high slopes of the Dolomites alongside his father and grandfather and developing a deep passion and respect for the environment at a young age.
But the vibrant, curious young winemaker decided to take his knowledge a step further, pursuing a degree in agriculture and oenology from the Agricultural Institute of San Michele all’Adige in order to better care for the 30-year-old vines he now tends on the slopes of Vigolana and overlooking the picturesque city of Trentino.
With help from his wife, Annalisa, and father, he took over his family’s vineyards in the early 2000s and launched Cantina Furlani, bringing modern technology and a visionary approach to the small cellar which had been shuttered for 20 years. While the land had long been farmed organically, he quickly began devoting himself to biodynamic practices in order to create wines that are joyful, pure expressions of the mountainous terroir, with a focus on spumante wines as well as red and white wines made from predominantly indigenous grapes that he considers “a perfect synthesis between nature, territory, knowledge and great care.”
Matteo works predominantly with local grapes, ranging from Pavana and Negrara to more well-known varietals such as Muller Thurgau and Pinot Noir. All grapes are hand-harvested, as necessitated by the steep slopes of the limestone and clay vineyards that dot the small village of Povo, which can reach up to 720 meters. Fermentation is entirely natural with indigenous yeasts and without temperature control, and wines are aged in stainless steel tanks or 20-year-old barrels.
When tasting the 2022 wines, we were thrilled by their exuberant floral and mineral qualities — they’re playful and pure, with the power to immediately transport you to the rocky slopes from which they were harvested with a singular passion that comes through in every sip.
Mae Son Rosso Frizzante — Back to the top
Grapes: old indigenous varietals including Pavana, Rosara, Negrara and Turca
Vineyard: Calcareous soil with clay and porphyry content, medium textured, located 300-720m above sea level — the grapes benefit from fresh Northern winds and the famous Ora del Garda winds
Making of: The grapes are harvested by hand when they achieve ideal ripeness, typically in late September. Spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts takes place in open stainless steel vats, with 20 days of skin contact. The freshly fermented wine is then aged on the lees in steel vats before aging in barrels for 6 months. It is then racked and undergoes a second fermentation in bottle, where it rests for 4 months.
Mae Son Rosé Frizzante — Back to the top
Grapes: Pinot Noir
Vineyard: Calcareous soil with clay and porphyry content, medium textured, located 300-720m above sea level — the grapes benefit from fresh Northern winds and the famous Ora del Garda winds
Making of: The grapes are harvested by hand when they achieve ideal ripeness, typically in August. They macerate on the skins for a few hours, then undergo spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel vats. After a gentle pressing, the freshly fermented wine then ages in steel vats until it is racked and bottled, where it undergoes a second fermentation on the lees. There is no chemical intervention at any stage of the winemaking process. Unfined, unfiltered, no added SO2.
Personality: an herbal, fruit-forward nose with hints of small red berries, and a delicate finesse on the palate
Mae Son Orange — Back to the top
Grapes: Muller Thurgau
Vineyard: Calcareous soil with clay and porphyry content, medium textured, located 300-720m above sea level — the grapes benefit from fresh Northern winds and the famous Ora del Garda winds
Making of: The grapes are hand-harvested at the start of September, then destemmed by hand. They undergo a long period of skin contact for 20-25 days, after which they are left to spontaneously ferment in open-top steel vats. The wine then ages in stainless steel until April. Unfined, unfiltered, no added SO2.
Personality: a dreamy aperitivo wine to share with friends! Amber-tinged with golden hues. The aromatic bouquet is bursting with fresh apples and citrus notes of lime and grapefruit, with decisive minerality running through it. Pairs perfectly with all sorts of summery dishes, from vegetable-focused small plates to fresh fish
Mae Son White — Back to the top
Grapes: Muller Thurgau
Vineyard: Calcareous soil with clay and porphyry content, medium textured, located 300-720m above sea level — the grapes benefit from fresh Northern winds and the famous Ora del Garda winds
Making of: The grapes are harvested by hand when they achieve ideal ripeness, typically in September. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks with indigenous yeasts, without any temperature control. After bottling, the wine is stored in a temperature-controlled environment until release. No chemicals are used at any stage of the winemaking process. Unfined, unfiltered, no added SO2.
Personality: Elegant and easy drinking, with a golden yellow hue and refreshing palate of bright, spicy fruit and tight minerality. Incredibly aromatic!