In March, thanks to Federica Schir (federica@federicaschir-pr.com), Michele and I visited Tenuta Casenuove in Panzano in Chianti. There we met Alessandro Fonseca the General Manager of the state and an agronomist. He told us that the owner is Philippe Austruy, a French entrepreneur, art collector, and wine lover, who also owns prestigious wineries in France and Portugal.
At the end of the tasting of the wines of Tenuta Casenuove, we saw a short film about another of Mr. Austruy’s wineries located on the island of Giglio, the pearl of the Tuscan archipelago. With the help of Alessandro, Mr. Austruy purchased a vineyard corner of uncontaminated land whose terraced rows are supported by ancient dry stone walls. The vineyard is 1.2 hectares and it overlooks the sea.
From the beginning, the Tenuta Isola nel Giglio project focussed on Ansonica, a grape variety that has thrived in the terroir of this Mediterranean island over the centuries. After watching the film, it was easy to understand why Mr. Austruy was so fascinated by the beauty of the island.
According to tradition the grapes are harvested by hand from the Finoccio vineyard. The workers carry the boxes of grapes on their shoulders through the holm oak woods to the access point closest to the road.
Careful monitoring of the temperature-controlled fermentation of the must with the pomace encourages the development of a tannic texture without excesses. The wine is refined in porcelain containers – a contemporary evolution of terracotta amphorae – and wooden barrels. A rest in the bottle follows the refinement to give this multifaceted wine time to best express its potential.
The Wine
IGT Toscana Bianco “Scoglio Nero” 2019 made from 100% Ansonica, Soil is granitic sands dating back to a million years ago. Mediterranean climate characterized by hot and very dry summers, very little rainfall especially during the growing season of the vine. Harvest takes place the first ten days of September.
The grapes, harvested rigorously by hand, are de-stemmed when delivered to the cellar, fermented without pressing and vinified in steel containers at a controlled temperature. The duration of maceration continues throughout the alcoholic fermentation phase and, depending on the degree of maturation, can also continue in the subsequent phase of aging on the lees. Part of the wine obtained is aged in second and third passage barriques, while the remaining part is aged in stoneware containers, to ensure the right degree of micro-oxygenation necessary for the evolution of the tannic matrix extracted during the maceration phase. Aging is for 30 months of which 18 is in the bottle. The wine was bottled on October 6 2020. The wine is put on the market three years after the harvest after adequate rest in the bottle.
They produce only this one wine and only 800 bottles.
The name Scoglio Nero to a toponym that pays homage to the dark rock formation of the Island.
The wine has hints of ripe yellow peaches, medlar, helichrysum and chamomile, delicately tropical fruit, notes of thyme and marjoram and a touch of hazelnut. It has a very pleasing aftertaste and a long finish.
I felt very privileged to taste this rare and special white wine that will age.