Azienda Agricola Urlari
Azienda Agricola Urlari
About the winery
The visionary Italian founder of Azienda Agricola Urlari, Roberto Cristoforetti, embodies the perfect combination of farmer, artisan and innovator. His passion for making excellent wine led to the creation of Azienda Agricola Urlari in the heart of Tuscany. Together with renowned winemaker Jean-Philippe Fort, who has won his spurs in the Bordeaux region, he combines art and science to produce exceptional Supertuscan wines.
ROBERTO
Roberto was born in the village of Tuenno in Trentino-Alto Aldige, a mountainous region in northern Italy. Descended from a long line of farmers, his family had apple orchards and when he was young, Roberto worked with his father in the fields. He developed the sensibilities of a farmer through his early experiences, and to this day he is a registered fruit grower in Italy and continues to oversee his family's apple orchards.
SKIS
The world of competition ski boots is steeped in artisanal craftsmanship; each pair is handcrafted, custom-made to perfectly fit racers' feet and tailored to their individual racing style. Throughout his impressive 37-year career, Roberto has worked closely with Lange engineers to innovate materials, customize hardware and create molds, with the goal of taking ski boot performance to new heights. He is credited with co-designing, alongside Rossignol/Lange, a registered patent for the very first carbon ski boot. Roberto is also the brilliant mind behind the metallic-gold ski boots worn by legendary Italian skier Alberto Tomba in honor of his two gold medals at the 1988 Calgary Olympics. As icing on the cake, Roberto has collaborated over the years with the famous Italian design firm Pininfarina, known for designing Ferrari, to create visually stunning designs that capture attention and garner admiration.
NOTICE
Roberto created boots for Alberto Tomba during his racing career and the two became good friends and often traveled together. Tomba's well-known appreciation for fine wines was rewarded with invitations to visit the world's finest wineries and Roberto accompanied him on these visits. Between 1990 and 1998, they visited the vineyards of Chateau Mouton Rothschild, Chateau Margaux, Chateau Lafite Rothschild and Chateau Lynch Bages in Bordeax, Domaine de la Romanee-Conti in Burgundy, Ornellaia in Tuscany and Santa Rita in Chile. In California, they were welcomed at Opus One, Beringer, Shafer, Mondavi and Atlas Peak. Roberto attributes his introduction to different styles of winemaking around the world and his passion for fine wines to his friendship with Alberto Tomba.
Super Tuscan
Roberto had long cherished the dream of combining his passion for wine with his admiration for the classic Bordeaux wines. Inspired by his love for these prestigious wines and his desire to experiment with the art of winemaking, he decided to venture into a new challenge: creating Super Tuscans in the heart of Tuscany.
In 1998 Roberto became a partner in an emerging Tuscan winery called Duca, but in 2003 he decided to go his own way and establish his own winery. He was convinced that Tuscany's unique soil and terrain offered the perfect terroir for producing high-quality wines with a modern twist. After extensive detective work along the Etruscan coast of Tuscany, he discovered a parcel called Urlari, characterized by an elevated position, abundant sunshine and fertile, pristine soil. In 2004, he purchased this piece of land and named his winery Azienda Agricola Urlari, in tribute to its unique location.
While making competition ski boots and producing premium wines may have little in common at first glance, Roberto sees the similarities in the need for precision and attention to detail. He transfers the same passion for innovation and perfection crucial to crafting world-class ski boots to his wines, striving for consistency and excellence in every glass.
BORDEAUX
Roberto and Jean-Philippe met in July 2008, when they spent time together tasting some of the world's finest wines. During this meeting, they discovered a shared passion for a specific style of wine: powerful and intense, with exceptional complexity and perfect balance. Although Roberto had to convince Jean-Philippe to use his expertise outside of France - something Jean-Philippe had never done before - it was the unique qualities of the vineyard and the potential for innovation that finally convinced him.
Born and raised in Bordeaux, Jean-Philippe holds a master's degree in biology from the University of Bordeaux. With more than 20 years of experience on Michel Rolland's team, he is known as an authority on St. Emilion wines. His excellence is evidenced by the fact that more than 40 percent of his wines are "Grand Cru Classé," including the prestigious Chateau Angelus, a Premier Grand Cru.