There is a precise moment when a venue ceases to be merely an address for a fine drink and begins to cultivate culture. For Ultramarino, the Porta Venezia wine bar that has grafted a Mediterranean soul onto Milan’s urban fabric, that moment arrives with “Natura Sperimentale”.
Launched in late November and already a fixture on the enthusiast’s radar, the project marks a definitive shift in the city’s collaborative landscape: moving away from mere branding towards a genuine, shared enquiry.
IN PRAISE OF THE “TANK SAMPLE”.
At the heart of the project lies a technical concept elevated to a philosophy: the prova di vasca (tank sample). In oenological parlance, this refers to tasting the wine during its evolution, before it is refined and bottled for the wider market.
Ultramarino has elected this imperfect, vital moment as its standard. The intent is not to present a “manicured” product, but to capture the raw energy of the liquid whilst in flux. It is a declaration of love for the living and the mutable, standing in sharp contrast to the homogenisation that so often blights the beverage industry.
THE DIALOGUE BETWEEN FRANCE AND MILAN.
For Volume 01 of this series, the connection was forged along the Italy-France axis. The oenological partner is Champagne Cohésion, a “garage” outfit (in the most sophisticated sense) working alongside small, independent vignerons.
The resulting cuvée is a manifesto of purity:
- 100% Meunier
- Zero dosage
- A marriage of three vintages, oscillating between the rigour of steel and the suppleness of oak.
It is a wine with an “electric” profile, one that demands attention and refuses to be easily categorised.
WHEN DESIGN CLOTHES SUBSTANCE.
No contemporary project can afford to ignore form. This is where the vision of Massimo Giorgetti comes into play. The Creative Director of MSGM has translated the bottle’s contents into a distinct graphic identity.
The label for this limited edition (a mere 200 units) eschews the traditional decorative tropes of sparkling wine in favour of a radical aesthetic. With minimalist lines and a palpable tension between space and matter, Giorgetti has dressed the wine with the same unfettered freedom that Ultramarino employs in its curation.
WHY THIS MERITS ATTENTION.
In a Milanese December frequently cluttered with ephemeral pop-ups, “Natura Sperimentale” distinguishes itself by connecting dots that usually remain disparate: the rural craft of the vigneron, the curation of a modern host, and the visual lexicon of fashion.This is not (merely) wine, nor is it (merely) design. It is a cultural artefact reflecting how the city is learning to hybridise codes, creating new forms of conviviality that are, above all, aesthetic experiences. The bottles, numbered like lithographs, remain as a testament to this encounter on Via Lambro, reminding us that today, true exclusivity resides in the vision.
