Buccia Nera – Tuscany
Buccia Nera is a family farm located in a small village in the center of Tuscany called Campriano. This estate was bought by the Family Mancini in 1926 and planted since with vineyards and olive trees. In 2001 a new bigger wine celler at the Campriano estate was built. The 1st vintage at the Campriano winery was 2004 and a new line of wines named Buccia Nera was launched. Buccia Nera was a Nick name of my family from 100 years and it means Black Skin. Today all family member live at the Estate each with their own role. Amadio the owner is in charge of the vineyards, Patrizia, the wife, is the director of the winery, Anastasia (daughter) works in the commercial office, Alessia (daughter) is in charge of the accommodations, Sandro (Anastasia’s hausband) is the winemaker.
The Buccia Nera Farm is in total 495 Acres : 148 of which are dedicated to the vineyards, 27 to olives, and the remainder to the fruits, vegetables, and forest. 70% of the vinyard are planted to Sangiovese grape, for the remaining we have autoctonal grapes like Ciliegiolo, Canaiolo, Malvasia Bianca del Chianti, Trebbiano Toscano, Grechetto, and few acres of international grapes like Merlot, Cabernet and Chardonnay. It is situated in a hill at 500 mt sl with a good south - west exposition. The estate is cultivated using organic farming since 2001.
All grapes are harvested manually and brought immediately to the winery. Fermentation is natural, no added yeast are used. The whites are immediately pressed in a pneumatic press and is fermented in stainless steel tanks of 10000 lt at low temperature. Two rackings are done early in the fermentation process to remove the heavy deposits and a third is done after three weeks. The wine is then left on the fine lees in stainless steel for an additional 4 months before being bottled. No malolatic fermentation.
The dry red wine are vinificated in stainless tanks. The alcoholic fermentation goes on around for 10 days, but the maceration on the skins continues around for 10 days more. Malolactic fermentation occurs in stainless steel and then the wines are racked into large French oak barrels of 3000 lt. Th Vin Santo is made by leaving the grapes to dry after the harvest for 4 months. The grapes, as raisins, contain approximately 30% sugar at this point and they are very dry that we have to use a old mechanical system to press them. The most have 150 – 200 grams of sugar per liter. The must is racked inside small oak caratello of 80 liters and it is closed tight with cement for almost 4 years before bottling. We don’t use chemical yeast and sulfites. The fermentation begins and slowly progresses until the sugar level reaches 16% to 19% and the residual sugar are 60-100 grams.
Mannucci Droandi - Tuscany
The Mannuccis were landowners in Valdarno at least from the early 19th century; from the 18th century the Droandis were farmers in Carmignano. Today, the estate is family-run. Roberto Mannucci is assisted by his wife, Maria Grazia Mammuccini and nephews Andrea and Matteo Mammuccini.
The estate is divided into two main parts. The first is the Campolucci property (Latin for “field of the holy wood”), this is the location of the winery and cellars. Along with cultivated land and woods, this property has been owned by the family since 1929. Campolucci is situated on the eastern slopes of the Chianti mountains (Chianti zone, subzone of Colli Aretini) It consists of 6.5 hectares of medium-textured alluvial, sandy, and silty soil with excellent aspect and average altitude of 250 meters. Certified Organic.
The second part of the estate is the recently-purchased Ceppeto, which consists of vineyards and olive groves planted around a large, square stone farmhouse (built in the 18th century on the ruins of an old hermitage) and surrounded by dense oak and chestnut woodland. The property is situated on the west side of the Chianti mountains (Chianti Classico zone), at 450m above sea level, on the southern slope of the hill. The soil here is medium-texture clayey soil, with plenty of stones. Certified Organic.
The reds are destemmed and gently crushed; vinification is carried out in medium-sized vats (50-100hl) with extended maceration (15-20 days) and délestage at intervals. Malolactic fermentation is carried out soon after devatting, a necessary step for the subsequent ageing (12-18 months) in French oak barriques (used for the second and third time). Lastly the wine completes its maturation with 12 months in the bottle.
Armilla – Tavernelle, Tuscany
In 1980, after many years of effort, Silverio Marchetti bought 4.5 Ha of a land and an abandoned house in Tavernelle, a lovely village situated 7 Km from Montalcino. He had worked for many years in a well-known winery in Montalcino and was close to retirement but decided to cultivate vineyards on this land. In 1995 his property entered the D.O.C.G.: and so began the adventure. Daughters, Ilaria and Fiorella, helped and little by little grandchildren, Nicola, Fiorella's son, and Giacomo, Ilaria's son, who in spite of his young age loves country life, also began to join in the family business with enthusiasm. Silverio died in 1997 and did not live to see his first bottle sold. The entire family carried on his commitment and Armilla was born. In ancient Rome "armilla" was a golden bracelet worn by men and women alike; however, "armilla" also refers to a particular bracelet awarded to Roman soldiers for military merit on the field and worn on the left arm. Armilla and its wine is a promise maintained to the man who created them and the "armilla" is the symbol of continuity: from Silverio to Ofelia, from Silverio to his daughters, from Silverio to his grandchildren.
The altitude is about 320 metres above sea level. The climate, is dry and ventilated thanks to sea winds, which allows the grapes to ripen perfectly. The land in this area originates from the decomposition of rocks from the Eocene Period. Geologically speaking, the soil is composed of polygenic conglomerates with a prevalence of calcareous, siliceous and arenaceous elements more or less cemented and imbedded with sandy layers. Rich of minerals the soil is perfect for the cultivation of vineyards. Currently the winery is run exclusively by the Giannetti family according to Tuscan tradition, has reserved 2 hectares to Brunello di Montalcino. The vineyards have a density of 5000 plants per Ha and cordon spur is cultivation used. The average age of the vineyards is 15 years.
fermentation is carried out on the skins for about 20 days in temperature – controlled stainless steel tank, designed and built in order to extract tannins e colour efficiently but delicately. The BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 3 years in Slavonic and Allier 25 Hl. oak cask followed by at least 10 months refinement in bottles placed in storage at a controlled temperature. Yearly production is approximately 450 cases ROSSO DI MONTALCINO 10 months in Slavonic and Allier 25 Hl. oak cask followed by at least 2 months refinement in bottles placed in storage at a controlled temperature. Yearly production is approximately 300 cases
La Ciarliana – Gracciano, Tuscany
The estate’s name “La Ciarliana” is given by the small and suggestive chapel nearby and the logo of the vineyard is inspired by the original bell tower. At 350 metres above sea level “La Ciarliana” wine estate nestles in the heart of the ancient Poliziano hills. It lies in the Ciarliana and Ascianello production area, amongst vineyards which still yield the excellent wines celebrated near and far, for centuries. The viticultural farm belongs to Luigi Frangiosa who has expressed and demonstrated his passion for wine production since 1995. This passion started with his grandfather 50 years earlier and was inherited by Luigi through his father Santo Pellegrino.
The vineyards of the family run estate are dedicated to the production of Vino Nobile of Montepulciano have increased from 2 to 10 hectares together with 2 dedicated to Rosso di Montepulciano and 6 to Chianti; a total of 18. The vineyards, with a density of 5000 vines per hectare, have been planted following a careful geological and clonal study. The terrain, the loving care given to the vines and the careful selection of of grapes all combine to give “La Ciarliana” wines remarkable structure and body. All grapes are harvested manually. They are fermented in big stainless steel vats at a controlled temperature and then left in stainless steel for an additional 5 months.
The Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is aged for 18/24 month in Slovenian oak casks and small barrels. Then it rests in bottles for other 4/5 months before being sold.
Quaquarini Francesco - Canneto Pavese, Oltrepo Pavese
The Winery Quaquarini Francesco is situated at Monteveneroso, a little hamlet in the community of Canneto Pavese, at about 50 min. from Milan. Third generation of a family who has been attending to wine production since the beginning of the past century, the Firm is run by Francesco together with his wife Liliana along with their son and daughter: Umberto, graduated in Enology, follows the whole wine-making and production cycle and Maria Teresa, in charge of sales and marketing, attends to distribution. The family has always been engaged to improve the quality of their wines through an attentive planning of research programs covering all aspects of the production, so exploiting both wine tradition and the renewal of production technique, to exalt quality. The success of these programs has allowed them to produce a range of wines of quality, coming from the most skilled areas in the Oltrepo Pavese.
Production control begins from the cultivation of the vine and goes on through the delicate phase of the vintage and fermentation, up to the bottling. During the cultivation phase, the main goal is to exploit the autochthonous varieties, above all: CROATINA - BARBERA - UGHETTA DI CANNETO, growing them with advanced techniques, but respecting the environment and nature. All wines are certified Organic / Biodynamic.
At present the farm extends over about 60 ha cultivated with vine, situated in the first hilly strip at an altitude of 200/300 m. The soils are of various structure: From sandy soils with a steep gradient, situated to the west, for the production of young, scented red wines, with good body, to much more complex soils, with calcareous and clayey composition, with south-west exposition, for wines with strong personality and structure, with very important maturing times, such as Buttafuoco La Guasca.
Harvest is always carried out by hand; grapes are vinified as soon as they are collected. The fermentation of wine takes place in steel and cement or in wood, 55 hl Slavonia oak casks or in Barriques, following wine typology.
Perusini – Gramogliano, Colli Orientali del Friuli
It is no coincidence that the oldest medieval wall-painting representing a grape-harvest and wine-making surviving in Friuli comes from Perusini-Antonini Palace in Udine (the family is documented since the fifteenth century). It is also due to Perusini family that in the Nineteenth century a number of traditional Friuli's strain (such as Ribolla Gialla and Picolit) were preserved when the French wine species were all the fashion. In the twentieth century. Giuseppina Perusini, grandmother of the present owner Teresa, and her two sons Giampaolo and Gaetano continued studying traditional grapes and methods of agriculture (Gaetano was a professor of popular art and tradition at Trieste's University ), and Giampaolo, Teresa's father, worked particularly in reselecting and improving Ribolla Gialla. Although the castle of Rocca Bernarda, old family seat, and 3/4 of the estate passed to the Order of Malta (due to Giuseppina and Gaetano 's will) the family tradition continues in the part of the estate on Gramogliano hill renowned for centuries - like Rocca Bernarda and Rosazzo - for terrain, beautiful position and micro-climate that makes them the cru hors classe of Friuli's Colli Orientali.
The entire property encompasses now 62 hectares, 12.5 of which dedicated to the vineyards, 60% for white wines and the rest for red wines. In the next years the vineyards are going to grow to ca.20 hectares. The Az. Perusini produces wine only from its own grapes, grown on hillside vineyard planted in eocene loam. All the vines have been closely planted (guyot) and cultivated in respect of tradition and nature (no use of sistemic fungicide). The same criteria and scrupulous care continued also in cellar's work. The research into native species that has been the leitmotif of the estate over the past three generations and the care lavished on the vineyards allowed them to grow grapes perfectly characteristic of the terroire and of each single cultivar for they believe that small enterprises like theirs should preserve the flavors of the genius loci and the diversity that makes European culture so rich The white grapes cultivated are 5 : pinot grigio, ribolla gialla, sauvignon, chardonnay, picolit. From them 5 wines are produced + a sparkling wine BRUT (charmat method) composed from ribolla gialla (2/3) and chardonnay(1/3). Picolit is a sweet wine obtained from 2 months’ dried grapes (raisin) harvested over-ripe. This special wine -considered the king of wines in most European courts in the 2nd half of XVIII Century - is similar to french Sauterne (it also has a certain degree of botrytis cinerea). Red grapes: merlot, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, refosco dal peduncolo rosso. From these grapes 5 wines are produced + a bordeaux cuvée (Rosso del Postiglione: merlot + cab.sv)
Virtually all grapes are harvested manually. The white wines are fermented in stainless steel vats at low temperatures with different selected yeasts. Normally two rackings are done in fermentation process, then the wines remain from 7 to 8 month on fine lees before being bottled. Red wines- after fermentation in steel -are racked in barriques and tonneau of french allier oak medium toasted (of first, second and third passage) where they remain for 19/20 months and undergo malolactic fermentation. Perusini Brut is produced with Charmat method. The wine remains 3 months on yeasts. Picolit is a passito-wine produced from late harvest grapes dried for 2 month on trellis (where they got botrytized 10%) and then pressed. The wine is aged part in acacia barrels and part in stainless steel were slowly undergo malolactic fermentation and reach ca.14% alcohol.