The Vineyards
HIDDEN TREASURE AMIDST THE TUSCAN HILLS
My vineyards have been planted in unique settings, each with its own different soil and microclimate. Each terroir expresses its marked individuality and it gives them a distinctive and unmistakable personality.
Each row of vines is a piece to the puzzle which, once put together, is my wine-making universe.
The pieces consist of grape varieties, farming techniques, and wine-making secrets. From the Chio Valley to the “married” vines, my vineyards are the result of an ongoing research for excellence and of a profound respect for nature.
Dodo Vineyard
My first vineyard was planted in 2004 in a small plot in the Chio Valley, located East of Castiglion Fiorentino, near Cortona at an elevation of 300 mt (1000 feet), medium-textured soil with a satisfying presence of clay. Being captivated by the Mediterranean vineyards, I chose the free-standing tree training system with an iron rod support. Trying to reach the maximum agronomical balance, the vines are planted at the vertices of adjacent equilateral triangles. The plant density is of 10000 vines per hectare (1 ectare = 2.5 acres ca.). With this system the roots are forced to go deep, therefore helping in finding more water, but also curbing the quantities of grape produced. The ground and the vines are obviously worked strictly by hand. The same goes for the necessary treatments. As of today, the surface area of the Dodo Vineyard has been doubled. From this vineyard I produce the DODO Sangiovese Toscana IGT.
Sella dell’Acuto Vineyard
In 2009 I planted another 0.5-hectare (1.75 acres) vineyard, also 100% Sangiovese, on the ridge of a very rocky (marl) hill at an altitude of 360 mt. (1180 feet) The drainage of the soil is rather good, and we implement cover cropping to curb the vigor of the vines. We decided to adopt the free-standing tree training system in these plots as well. In this case the vines are supported by a trellis, with a density of 9000 vines per hectare.
The Sella dell’Acuto Sangiovese Toscana IGT is the wine produced solely with grapes grown in this vineyard. The name of the wine is a tribute to Giovanni l’Acuto (John Hawkwood), a commander who, in the 1300’s, lived in the nearby Castle of Montecchio.
Vigna Cibino
Cibino Vineyard
In 2015 my passion for the “vite maritata” (married wine) began. In the past, in our region, intensive viticulture did not exist and grapevines were cultivated together with cereals, fruits, and vegetables, a true agriculture for sustenance. Therefore, it is still possible today to discover very, very old grapevines “married” to field maples. This ancient vine growing technique sees the vine climbing around and atop a tree. This bond can be compared to a marriage, hence the name “married vine.”
After a long work of restauration, I was able to give back the vines their former glory.
Ginezzo Vineyard
In 2018, the most ambitious, if not crazy, project comes to life. Implanting a vineyard on a mountain. In our territory, during the summer, we often see very high temperatures. More often than not, in order to produce wines with a good acidity, we are forced to pick grapes that aren’t perfectly mature. Hence the need arises to go higher on the mountains and find some cooler temperatures.
The challenge of making wines on Mount Ginezzo (928mt – 3044 feet) above Cortona, turned out to be much more difficult than we thought. We’ll see how it will turn out in the end…
Collesecco Vineyard
In 2023 I was finally able to plant a “normal” vineyard, near my cellar, with a gentle slope and a good amount of clay.
In this vineyard I reserved the most shaded areas to the white grapes selected from the “married” vines (Canaiolo Bianco and Orpicchio) and the sunniest zones to the red grapes, Sangiovese and Sanforte.