DRAFT - SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
Tenuta San Vincenti, Tuscany, Italy. Tuesday 16-September-2026.
This wine tasting was one of the activities that formed part of the retreat. It was a 25 minute walk up a dusty road from the retreat itself.
This is the view that greeted us as we entered the gates. An empty field, more of that later, and neat rows of vines.
From Tenuta San Vincenti you can see Borgo San Vincenti, the venue for our retreat.
The tasting was led by Martina who gave us some background to the estate:
- The total area of the vineyards is 6.3 hectares (15.5 acres).
- The previous owner was approaching 70 and wanting to retire. So he sold the estate in 2021 to a couple of investors from Palm Beach, USA. They have also invested in improvements to the estate including the tasting room we were in.
- They decided to renew the vineyard mentioned above. It was planted with old vines of a clone developed for high yield rather than quality. So they grubbed up the vines and the field is lying fallow for a couple of years to let the soil recover. It will then be planted with varieties more suited to the aspirations of the estate.
- The main Sangiovese vines are also being updated on a rolling basis by replacing individual vines as they die off rather than a wholesale replanting.
- They are also investing in vinification equipment. Previously they took the harvest to a nearby estate, Brolio, for pressing and vinification.
- They are aiming for biological certification but there is a three year probation period before they can receive the accreditation and put it on the label.
- The Reserva is 50% produced by the previous owner and 50% under the current owner.
Gote Rosa 12.5%; Sangiovese 80%, Merlot 20%.
- Pale orange-pink, very bright
- Fresh, light, redcurrants?, sl green pepper??
- Good, fresh acidity, light fruit - redcurrants?
Matured in concrete.
Chianti Classico 2023 ; Sangiovese 85%, Merlot 15%.
- Mahogany, SL brown at rim
- Plums, cedar, sl green
- Soft, silky texture, plums?, soft tannins
Oak barrels for 6-8 months, then concrete for 2-3 months? Then bottled and released.
Chianti Classico Riserva 2021 ; Sangiovese 90%, Merlot 10%.
- Darker, deeper colour, more purple
- Sweet, soft fruit, plums?, some oak
- More tannins, good texture, some prickle, nice fruit flavour blackberries?, good length.
Chianti Classico Riserva 2022 ; Sangiovese 90%, Merlot 10%.
- More mahogany, slight brown at rim
- Bit less sweet on nose, some oak, deeper,
- Fuller flavour, less sharp tannins, dark fruit, good balance and length.
Oak barrels but not toasted, 12 months in barrels, then into concrete for 2-3 months, then bottled and released after 1 year?
Gran Selezione 2021 ; Sangiovese 100%.
- Dark mahogany, SL brown at rim
- Sweet, sl oaky, prunes, v. sl herby / mushroom
- Yummy, lovely fruit, softish tannins, more complex, blackberries, damsons?
Gran Selezione 2022 ; Sangiovese 100%.
- Bright, mahogany, sl brown at rim
- Lovely, complex nose, soft, some oak, some herbaceous
- Smooth, silky texture, good tannins, damsons / plums
24 months in barrels.
Esperimento Toscana IGT 2021 ; Merlot 100%.
- Purple / mahogany
- Softer nose but still house style
- Nothing special.
Matured in French oak for 18 months.
We were joined at the end by their winemaker, Carlo Dell'Aiuto, who told us more about his approach and some of the biological practices. This was the most fascinating part of the tasting and Carlo’s enthusiasm and passion for the wines was heartwarming. He told us about the five grass varieties that he plants between the vines:
- One variety is a flowering grass that is used to attract bees. We had seen the hives on our way in and assumed it was simply for honey and pollinating vines. However, it appears that the presence of the bees encourages other insects which pray on pests, moths and caterpillars, which otherwise attack the vines. So by encouraging biodiversity mother nature looks after the vines.
- Another variety of grass is used for fixing nitrogen in the soil to improve the nutrition that the roots receive.
- The third variety is a cereal which introduces cellulose which acts to absorb moisture, rather like the little packets of desiccant that you find in packaging. That helps moderate the moisture levels in the vineyard.
- The fourth grass is used to put roots down into the soil to help open up its structure.
- The final variety provides shade around the vines to protect the soil from the sun and drying out too much. When it is tall enough the grass is flattened down to provide a protective mat over the soil.
Using this approach he was able to improve some poorer patches within the vineyard without resorting to sulphur and Bordeaux mix.
At the end we went out to admire the vines again.
We, of course, bought a bottle to take back to the ranch to have with that evening’s meal.
The most enjoyably educational tasting we have had for a very long time!
