Storia
1970: the first family vineyard
Luigi Maffini's father planted the family's first vineyard at Castellabate in 1970. It began as a way for the family to spend time together, although that apparently informal undertaking ultimately became the foundation of a more substantial agricultural project.
A surviving Fiano block at Cenito is dated 1972. It covers 0.30 ha and belongs to the estate's historic Castellabate vineyards.
1996: the first Kratos
Luigi Maffini subsequently developed the project with his wife, Raffaella. Their shared work gradually became a way of living through and cultivating the land. The 1996 harvest produced the first Kratos, marking the beginning of the estate's wine production.
The same year also appears in the current vineyard record at Cenito: 1.80 ha of Fiano and 0.50 ha of Aglianico were planted. The Fiano is associated with Kratos and Passito, while the Aglianico block is associated with Cenito.
1999: further planting at Cenito
A further 0.90 ha of Aglianico was planted at Cenito in 1999 for Cenito. Together with the earlier plantings, this formed a 3.50 ha vineyard within the 4.20 ha Castellabate property.
2006: development at Denazzano and Sambuco
The younger and larger part of the estate developed in the Giungano and Trentinara area. In 2006, 2.00 ha of Fiano was planted for Pietraincatenata and 1.20 ha of Aglianico for Siopè.
2007: additional Fiano and Aglianico
In 2007, the estate planted another 2.10 ha of Fiano for Kratos and 2.50 ha of Aglianico associated with Kleos and Denazzano.
2015: expansion of Fiano
A 4.50 ha Fiano block was planted in 2015 for Kratos. It is the largest individual block described within the estate's current vineyard holdings.
2017 and 2019: continued Aglianico planting
A further 1.00 ha of Aglianico was planted in 2017 for Kleos. Another 1.00 ha followed in 2019, also for Kleos. The seven blocks at Denazzano and Sambuco now total 14.30 ha under vine within a 31.00 ha property.
Terroir
Cilento landscape
The estate's setting is defined by Cilento's gentle hills and the deep cuts created by natural erosion. Vineyards and olive groves face the blue waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea. The wider geology includes flysch formations in which sandstone and pelite recur in alternating layers.
Giungano and Trentinara
The younger and more extensive vineyard area lies at Denazzano and Sambuco, within the municipalities of Giungano and Trentinara on the edge of Cilento. It is close to the archaeological site of Paestum and stands between 300 and 350 metres above sea level. Its soils are clay-calcareous and contain a significant stony component.
Castellabate
The historic vineyards occupy the Cenito locality at Castellabate, behind Punta Licosa and near the waters of the Gulf of Salerno. The soil is sandy loam, with a higher proportion of clay in the Aglianico parcels. Castellabate is presented as part of the area's UNESCO-recognised landscape.
Vinificazione
The grapes are cultivated organically. Across the described vineyard blocks, planting densities range from 3,350 to 4,830 vines per hectare. The wine specifications identify vertical trellising with Guyot pruning as the estate's training system.
The estate connects organic cultivation with a broader commitment to biodiversity and environmental stewardship. Its account of the vineyard environment includes hawks, bees, badgers, foxes, hares, frogs and seasonally returning swallows. Protecting the conditions that allow this fauna to persist is treated as part of caring for the territory.
The two principal varieties are Fiano and Aglianico. Their blocks are managed separately by site, planting year, exposure and intended production. Fiano harvest activity represented in the range extends from the final third of August into the second third of September, while Aglianico is harvested in the final third of September. Grapes selected for the sweet-wine production are harvested in the second third of September and dried for about 30 days, with partial development of noble rot.
White-wine production
Fiano receives different treatments according to the intended expression. One approach uses gentle pressing followed by temperature-controlled fermentation in stainless-steel tanks at 16°C; maturation then continues in stainless steel for approximately four months. A second approach also begins with gentle pressing but ferments the must at 16°C in new barriques, followed by about four months in barriques.
For the passito method, intact Fiano grapes are pressed after approximately 30 days of drying with partial noble-rot development. Fermentation takes place in new barriques at a controlled 18°C, followed by maturation in new barriques.
Red-wine production
Aglianico is destemmed and crushed before maceration in stainless-steel fermenters. The documented maceration regimes range from six days to approximately 10–15 days, with fermentation at 25°C.
Oak use varies with the intended red-wine expression. The range includes maturation in second- and third-use oak barriques, 12 months in new and first-use oak barriques, and 12 months in new oak barriques.
Filosofia
Luigi Maffini describes living in one's own time as seeking harmony with the land, drawing inspiration from it and returning the energy received. Cilento is treated not simply as a production area but as the home that shaped the family project.
The family character of the estate begins with the first vineyard planted as a means of spending time together and continues through the work shared by Luigi and Raffaella. Wine is presented as a vehicle for telling part of that family story.
The estate defines its role as that of a guardian of the land. Biodiversity is understood through the continued presence of wildlife among and around the vineyards, while environmental responsibility extends beyond cultivation to the design and operation of the winery. Its architecture is conceived as an expression of genius loci. Organic grape growing, renewable energy, rainwater recycling and fully recyclable materials form part of the same commitment to protecting the territory and respecting the earth as the family's first home.