Our goal is to create quality wines and oil which are the finest representatives of our territory. For this reason, the work we carry out protects and enhances the distinctive authenticity of our terroir and the surrounding area to achieve a balance between traditional methods, technological innovation, and elegance of the final products.
FROM VINEYARD TO WINE
We study and treat our land following an integrated production concept that allows the sustainable conservation of the vineyards and minimizes the use of additional products, while fully respecting the environment.
WINTER PRUNING, WEEPING OF THE VINE, SPRING VINE TRAINING
From early January to mid-March, winter pruning is the most important operation that is carried out on the dormant vines along with determining the training system (in our case, spurred cordon and guyot) and estimating the eventual yield. These actions lead to the production of healthy and balanced grapes.
In March the vines “weep” (release sap that look like tears), which signals the start of the growing season. From this point on we rigorously, carefully and continuously follow the growth of the vines day by day. This work requires meticulous and constant attention to both climatic and environmental factors, as these are the key factors in producing balanced, ripe and rich aromas in the grapes. Spring vine training helps in the elimination of excess shoots and is aimed at creating a non-compact crown that allows the passage of air as well as light penetration and is carried out strictly by hand.
Winter pruning
The weeping of the vine
The first Sangiovese grape buds
FLOWERING, PEELING, HARVEST
After flowering, the first production estimates are made and the work of removing some leaves and thinning the bunches begins to ensure that the grapes are perfectly ripe. During the month of September, we regularly take samples to determine the best harvest date for each vineyard, which usually does not take place before the beginning of October.
By carefully selecting the bunches by hand during the harvest, we make sure to bring only ripe and healthy grapes into the cellar.
Flowering
Veraison
Sunny days of harvest
Hand-picking of the grapes
WINE MAKING
Wine analysis
The fermenting room
Wine racking
Grape pomace on the bottom of the tank
In the cellar the grapes are first destemmed and then lightly pressed in order to obtain a soft break in the skin which is essential for enriching the wine with anthocyanins, polyphenols and tannins.
Our wine is begun with traditional methods refined over the centuries, combined with a constant search for technological innovation. What distinguishes us is the passion and craftsmanship that we employ at every stage of the process: from tasting the grapes while on the vine to sampling the individual barrels for quality and finally establishing the right blending before bottling, we evaluate its evolution from a flavor point of view to ensure that we have created the tastes we would like to find in our glass.
We ferment each grape separately based on the grape variety, the field it grows in, and its level of ripeness. During the first fermentation and a maceration period of about 25-30 days we carry out a rigorous and daily check on our wines through analytical study and monitoring of the fermentation progress using temperature controls on the various tanks. Once drawn off, or separating the solid part from the liquid part, it’s important to provide the wine with the optimal conditions, above all a correct temperature, to ensure that it goes through the malolactic fermentation which is essential to give our wine softness, body and longevity.
THE BLENDING AND AGING IN WOOD
Wine blending
Aging in oak
Monitoring of wine evolution
In February we begin to evaluate the wines, deciding when to stop fermentation and place the wine in the appropriate barriques or large barrels made exclusively of French oak for aging.
Aging in wood for a period ranging from 12 to 24 months allows our wines to refine their flavor and aroma characteristics and to transform themselves. Their evolution in the bottle continues for at least 2 or 3 years, a period of natural and gradual refinement useful for softening the tannins, releasing aromas and perfecting wines characterized by an important aging potential like ours, capable of giving great satisfaction for more than 10 years.
OUR EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
The same commitment and attention that we devote to the cultivation of vineyards we also dedicate to our olive trees throughout the year: from working the land, to pruning, to early harvesting.
The varieties found in Savignola are the typical Tuscan ones, namely leccino, frantoio and moraiolo. The unseasonably early harvest by the end of October, when they have not yet reached their maximum ripeness, allows us to preserve the delicacy of the taste and, above all, to amplify the aromaticity and spiciness which are typical characteristics of olive trees from this area.
Our olives
The varieties in Savignola
Extra virgin olive oil
The olives are then immediately washed and pressed using a cold press olive oil machine in order to obtain an extra virgin olive oil. After pressing we place it in tanks without filtering, where it is left to rest until the month of February so as to allow the heavier parts and impurities to settle on the bottom of the container before bottling. Only a small portion of the “new oil” that is fresh just pressed in October is immediately bottled and reserved for our most loyal customers. Our oil is characterized by its lightness and its fruity taste, perfect for flavoring dishes with a delicate taste.
FROM GRAPE SKINS TO GRAPPA DI SAVIGNOLA
After a long maceration, our grape skins are used for a small production of grappa, which is a brandy that is made exclusively from Italian grapes distilled in Italy. Our grappa is made in collaboration with the Bonollo Distillery without aging in wood to preserve its original flvour and aromas. It is the ideal end of an important meal.
