Ampeleia, Toscana Unlitro 2022

Grenache, Carignano, Mourvèdre, and Alicante Bouschet

Biodynamic

Tuscany, Italy

From the importer-

This wine is a blend of varieties originating from the Mediterranean Basin— ~80% Alicante Nero (aka Grenache) and ~20% Carignano—sourced from vineyards at 200-350 meters above sea level. The fruit was harvested from the 10th to the 25th of September at yields of 60hl/ha. The varieties were harvested and vinified separately. A small part of the harvest undergoes carbonic maceration, the rest is either done whole berry or crushed. Macerations lasted 5-7 days. Aged 6 months in cement tanks.

Ampeleia was born in 2002 from the collaboration and friendship between Elisabetta Foradori, Thomas Widmann, and Giovanni Podini; they saw in Ampeleia a place where they could not only develop an agricultural project but also fulfill a common vision. The project aspires to represent the inherent diversity and huge potential of this particular area of Maremma, the "Colline Metallifere," which are not the coastal lowlands one usually associates with the Maremma, but mineral-rich hills that have been mined since Etruscan times.

The estate results from the purchase of different plots of land, located far apart and on different altitude levels, with the precise aim of creating a great variability in altitude, soil type and microclimatic conditions; each vineyard has a distinctive identity that is enhanced by the uniqueness of the surrounding environment. Variety is the keystone and soul of Ampeleia. In fact, variety represents the project’s constant quality, both physically and symbolically, and is harmoniously expressed in its wines that taste of the varied lands of the area around the village of Roccatederighi. Many of the grape varieties that have been planted in Ampeleia are common in Mediterranean farmlands. In past times, vineyards were not planted with just one grape variety but many types of grapes were present and they were all harvested at the same time; the vineyards at Ampeleia reflect this tradition.

Within this diversity, the estate focuses on Cabernet Franc (planted in the early 1960s) and Alicante Nero, a distinctly Tuscan biotype of Grenache. Though Ampeleia owns around 130 hectares of land, only 35 hectares are planted to vine, in an attempt to keep the landscape intact to promote biodiversity.