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Sangiovese: the Legendary Val d'Orcia Vine The autochthonous Sangiovese vineSangiovese is an autochthonous vine originally from Tuscany. It produces quality red grapes also in other regions of Italy, yet Tuscany remains the home of this vine that is as old as man. In the variegated beauty of this region’s landscape, Sangiovese has been lovingly cultivated since time immeasurable. The name of Sangiovese has been attributed to the Etruscans. This people used the wine in rituals of sacrifice and religious practices. In the longest Etruscan text that we have, the Liber Linteus, a manuscript found in Egypt on the linen bandages of a mummy of the 1st Century AD, next to the word wine is the term “s’antist’celi” that has considerable assonance with the terms used to define Sangiovese. Some scholars attribute the etymology of Sangiovese to Sanguis Jovis (Sangue di Giove – Blood of Jupiter) associating the wine with one of its most closely related ancestral symbols – blood. The territory that typifies Sangiovese and its Tuscan origins are documented in writings of the 1500’s that confirm the presence of the vine in Tuscany and its characteristics as “juicy and full of wine that never fails” (G. Soderini, 1590 in Trattato sulla coltivazione delle Viti – Treaty on vine cultivation). In the second half of the 19th Century, Gallesio writes that “Sangiovese is an all-Tuscan grape and is maybe the most precious grape this country has to offer to dear Bacchus”. In Tuscany’s vast wine cultivating landscape – to the south of the Province of Siena, between peaks of Mount Amiata, the hills and woods that hug the Orcia and Ombrone rivers – we find a territory rich with natural beauty, the Val d’Orcia, that is nurtured on centuries of tradition and history, of refined talent that continues to love and care for a land and the bounty of its products. The wine remains among these the most sacred of gifts that the land has offered to man. A wine par excellence, Sangiovese is such an integral part the lives of the Val d’Orcia people that it is like blood in their veins. Man’s devotion to this vine continues to exalt the sacredness of a gift that only those who know the quality of its fruit are able to completely understand. The Importance of Quality WineTuscany’s wine production by now meets with quality standards recognized by all markets. The presence of numerous wines with Appellation of Origin guarantees the studied harmony and flavor that Tuscan wines present all over the world. There are many wines obtained using Sangiovese grapes, both by itself and in conjunction with other grapes. These wines take on a different appellation depending on the local area of production, thus characterizing the territory of origin and giving each specific typology of product the richness of its adaptability to the land. Among the great Tuscan reds are Brunello di Montalcino, Carmignano, Chianti, Chianti Classico and Vino Nobile di Montapulciano. The Supertuscans conquer the international market and Sangiovese is recognized for its quality all over the world. Its quality is made up of lots of little things and the typicality of the vine remains one of the greatest treasures that Tuscan wine owes to Sangiovese, since it safeguards the originality and the tradition of its strong character. Wines produced with Sangiovese are suitable both for aging and for immediate consumption thanks to the flexibility of the vine that adapts well for almost any type of product. Inasmuch as wine is a living material, sensitive to every minimal external transformation, its pleasantness is owed to many factors and evaluation parameters. The human factor, the seasonal element, the adaptability of a plant in a given zone, the processing, the aging, and the conservation. If all of these elements are well harmonized, they offer excellent quality and pleasant sensations that are unveiled through tasting and organoleptic analysis of the wine, thus allowing to discover the details of its structure. The bouquet of flavors and scents of a quality wine produced with Sangiovese leaves pleasant sensations on the palate of all those who taste it. The Val d’Orcia yields important quality red wines: the DOC wines that are obtained using Sangiovese grapes vaunt notable recognition and appreciation. The Orcia DOC has a red color tending toward garnet when aged, tannic and fruity scent, smooth and harmonious flavor. This wine represents a moment of pride in Tuscan oenology. Its richness is owed to the use of the autochthonous vine, the employ of traditional processing techniques, to constant commitment, to love and the dedication to a land of variegated landscapes rich with the flavors of age old traditions that the appreciation of the entire world gives back as a guarantee of quality. The typicality defines the scents and the quality of Val d’Orcia wines and becomes an essential indicator of the cultural and territorial values of the area. A quality wine becomes the principle testimony to the richness of the heart of Tuscany. Strict regulations in force fix the rules to be followed for producing IGT, DOC and DOCG wines. Vineyards, grape production, aging and the conservation of the wine are subject to very precise formalities. Quality is therefore guaranteed in writing. Yet, in the land of wine there are rules that have been defined by time, and the innovation and respect for tradition merge with the knowledge that man has matured with experience and devotion to the original vine.
Enormous
merit goes to the Val d’Orcia farmer for having left unvaried over
time the vine that, more than any other, signals the quality of a
place and becomes a messenger of history, culture, tradition and
taste, held up by the grand adaptability of the plant to various
environmental and territorial factors. Sangiovese has become
testimony and heir to the devotion that has lasted for thousands of
years and that sees man ready to create a harmony of taste and
flavors that is born from the moment of caring for the vine and is
complete with the bottling and the conservation of the wine. Agricola Belladonna Wines and Traditional ProcessingThe Orcia DOC Malintoppo and the Orcia DOC Antonio produced by Agricola Belladonna (Belladonna Farming Enterprise) are made, respectively, with 100% Sangiovese grapes (Malintoppo), and from 80% Sangiovese with 20% Cabernet Sauvignon (Antonio). The vineyards are at 400 meters above sea level in the Val d’Orcia Artistic and Natural Park. The two wines are representative of the use of traditional winemaking techniques. The sensations, the flavors, and the perfumes of the grapes, as well as of the land, are all returned to the wines throughout the entire transformation process of the grape. During winemaking, the different grape components (sugars, acids, perfumes, and colors) give rise to the complex of qualities that one ultimately finds in the wine. The manual picking of grapes and the transport of grape bunches still intact to the cellar are phases followed for the harvest in the Val d’Orcia. The grapes are then stripped and pressed with a machine that plucks the fruits rich with rough tannins from the stalk and then presses them in a manner that favors the flowing-out of must. The must begins to ferment thanks to the yeast that is found on the grape skin that transforms the sugars into ethyl alcohol, carbon dioxide and other secondary products such as glycerin and succinic acid. The complex enzymatic activity of the yeast is further responsible for the aroma that in great wines generates, after opportune aging, an intriguing bouquet of flavors and scents. The process whereby fermentation on skins takes place – grapes are allowed to ferment with skins and pips – is called ‘maceration’ and lasts for various lengths of time. With a short maceration (5 to 6 days) a young, richly colored and smooth wine is obtained, but with a low content of tannins. For important wine destined for long aging, the must should be allowed to macerate with its marc for more than twenty days. Agricola Belladonna wines are made in small stainless steel barrels of 25hl to 50hl. Maceration lasts 18-20 days for Malintoppo and 23-25 days for Antonio. This process favors the formation of aromas and perfumes that formed in the grape thanks to the solar energy that radiated on it during that particular year. During this extremely important phenomenon, the scents and colors are released from the skins that therefore contain the character of that year’s vintage. The skins also convey a hidden treasure to the final product: the proteins that bind to the tannins during refinement to create smooth and velvety wines. It is actually during maceration that man, in a very fascinating way, synchronizes with the wine, tasting the beverage up until the precise moment in which he decides to separate the must from the marc. . After devatting, the wine is transferred into barrels where the malo-lactic fermentation will decompose the malic acid (characteristic of green apples) into the more graceful lactic acid, thus determining a softening of flavor. At this point the wine is ready for refinement. Malintoppo remains for 9 months in stainless steel and wooden barrels and 2 months in the bottle. Antonio remains for 4 months in stainless steel barrels, 8 months in oak barrels and 4 months in the bottle. From the vivid colors of the vineyard and the sounds of the open countryside, one moves into the silent, magical atmosphere of the cellar where the wine takes on body and aroma. It becomes smooth and dark, intense and stable. The taste is enriched with substances given off by the wood, the polysaccharides that give it the much sought after velvety quality. Time harmonizes the components of the beverage. Aging is long, a magical and silent time in the twilight of the cellar. Through refinement the precursors of aromas become scents, the bouquet harmonizes with the taste and they become one. Agricola Belladonna’s Orcia DOC is thus ready to give to the whole world the aromas of a great land and the passion of extraordinary men.
ANTONIO AND MALINTOPPO's technical data sheets red wine (DOC ORCIA) Area of Origin: Region around San Quirico d’ Orcia – Natural and Artistical Parc of the Orcia Valley - IGT (protected geographical origin) till 1999 - DOC (controlled and quaranteed label) since 2000 Soil: On hill sides, 400 m over sea level, pebblelike, dry, containing alcaline and carbonate, exchange of CATIONS, balanced content of phosphor and potassium, sufficient share of micro-elements. Grape Varieties: MALINTOPPO San Giovese 100%, ANTONIO 80 % San Giovese, 20 % Cabernet Sauvignon. Vineyard Area: Malintoppo 4 hectares, Antonio 1 hectare Yield of Grapes: Malintoppo 50 quintals/hectare - Antonio 45 quintals/hectare Yield of Wine: 35 quintals/hectare – Antonio 30 quintals/hectare Grape canes: Malintoppo 3700/hectare, Antonio 3700/hectare Raising of Plants: simple Guyot training with minor load of buds per plant and a total of 25.000 to 30.000 buds per hectare. Pruning done in mid July. The vinery participates in the Tuscan regional program 2078/92 for reduced application of pesticides. Vinification: stictly following traditional methods, Red wine in small stainless steel tanks with a content of 25 hl to 50 hl, maceration time 18-20 days for Malintoppo, for Antonio 23 to 25 days. Maturing and Refining: Malintoppo for 7 months in stainless steel tanks, 2 months in wooden casks and other 2 months in bottles(ready for consumption after 11 months) – Antonio for 4 months in stainless steel tanks, 8 months in oak barriques and 4 months in bottles (ready for consumption after 16 months). Basic Chemical Characteristics: Malintoppo alcohol by volume 12.65 ml/100ml, total acidity 6.00g/l, residual sugar < 2g/l, pH 3.37 Antonio alcohol by volume 13.35 ml/100ml, total acidità 5.60g/l, residual sugar < 2g/l, pH 3.48
Vino Riguardo
Vin Santo Vin Santo is the great Tuscan sweet wine. There are many legends regarding the origins of its name. The adjective 'Santo' is tied to its cycle of production: the grapes are pressed during the first part of November, during the Christmas season or at Easter. Some producers bottle Vin Santo in November and others at Easter. This takes place in parallel with some of the most important religious celebrations like All Saints Day, Christmas and Easter, thence the ‘Santa’ (Holy) origin of this wine. The process for making Vin Santo is an accurate and laborious task. Malvasia, Grechetto and Trebbiano grapes, in any combination, are gathered early and left to dry on grates or on stacked racks. The duration of drying influences the concentration of sugars in the must. Authentic Vin Santo is sweet but in some cases, with abbreviated drying times, a dry wine is obtained. After pressing, the must is transferred to 50 liter barrels, called caratelli. The barrels are sealed, placed in a loft and aged for up to six years. The norms today call for only three years of compulsory aging. During this time the wine will go through hot summers and gelid winters. It is precisely these drastic climate changes that give Vin Santo its character. Long aging causes a mild oxidation and the final balance is unpredictable. Agricola Belladonna's Vin Santo is produced from selected Malvasia grapes off of 20-year-old vineyards that are located in the heart of the Val d'Orcia. The carefully selected grapes are allowed to dry naturally. The color varies from straw yellow to yellow gold, up to intense amber. Vin Santo has an intense and ethereal scent and characteristic aroma, and a soft, full, harmonious flavor. The alcohol content is a minimum of 16° and obligatory aging in caratelli is three years. Aging in caratelli can last up to 20 years and the ultimate product is a dried raisin nectar that has been given constant loving care over time.
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withe
wine obtained form Malvasia grapes