Winemakers since 1316 - Organic since 2004
Wine
Written records of wine-making on our estate extends trace back to at least 1316. Today we have 13 hectares of vineyards, interspersed among olive groves, woodland and meadows. Winemaking is now the responsibility of Giacomo Mastretta, a wine maker of considerable renown, particularly in the world of natural wine-making. Under his expert guidance we currently produce six wines: Chianti Colli Senesi, Chianti CS Riserva, Rosato Lunella, Ciliegiolo, Canaiolo and Colorino. We also produce two organic Grappas, distilled from our Sangiovese grapes. Tuscan traditions run strong at La Torre all Tolfe. Giacomo’s expertise is complemented in the vineyards where Mania Castelli and our agronomer Stefano Amadeo are striving to work with nature and the climate to produce abundant, organically grown grapes, with zero impact on the land and its natural biodiversity.
Recognition From Walter Speller, Italian Specialist For Jancis Robinson
We are excited to share the following reviews with you of the most recent releases from La Torre alle Tolfe.
WINE-MAKING
Giacomo Mastretta, winemaker of the estate, has been developing his natural wine-making skills in Chianti in the last decade. He achieved wide renown for the quality and character of his past Chianti creations but also for his innovation. He joined our team 2018, and his skills and instincts as a wine-maker have led to our current portfolio of world-class wines. The winery is a natural continuation of the work begun in the vineyards. Vinification of our grapes takes place after a highly managed manual harvest, mostly using vitrified cement vats, with no direct temperature regulation. Wood is used for some of our wines, notably French oak, but we have also commissioned a number of Italian chestnut vats, an older tradition which lends unique properties and exciting new dimensions to some of our wines.
Our aim is to minimise as far as possible the use of technology and chemicals: these are seen more as a limitation than a help, standardising the wines instead of letting their particularities and unique characters emerge. We try to avoid filtration which might similarly reduce the expressions of the soil and the vines in the wine. We choose to vinify each of our 4 traditional grape varieties separately, which allows us to offer the unique opportunity to taste these varietals pure, as well as in blends in some of our Chianti wines. All of our wines, including some rarely seen single varietals of traditional Tuscan grapes, have been receiving world-class reviews.
VARIETY & SUSTAINABILITY
Our aim is to build long-term sustainability into our soils and vines, to obtain the best possible grapes, that reflect the térroir, with minimal mechanical and chemical intervention. We invest in manual labour where possible, to avoid soil compaction, and we manage our grass cover to reduce erosion during wet periods, while avoiding excessive water competition during the dryer months. We have been organic methods since 2003. We have been members of the Natural wine association “Vinnatur” since 2010 and we commit to constantly moving towards more natural and sustainable methods. Our predominant grape variety is Sangiovese, with other local varieties including Canaiolo, Colorino and Ciliegiolo. They are trained and pruned following in the Guyot system. We hand pick each variety separately at the optimum time of maturation.
DEVELOPMENT AND BIODIVERSITY
Our interest in the land extends beyond the grapes. Following the arrival of Stefano Amadeo – our agricultural advisor from Vitenova – in 2017, we have invested in the analysis of our soils and of the flower and insect biodiversity in the vineyards. With his help we are increasingly managing the vineyards as ecosystems, building up the soils, and enhancing natural diversity, for example of native plants and pollinators. Interventions involve the targeted use of organic manure, grass cover and green manures (such as nitrogen fixing plants) to ensure ideal growth conditions for our vines and grapes. We are also meticulous in the pruning and management of our new vines to encourage their health and longevity, without pushing for excessive production.
Colorino, Chianti Colli Senesi, Rosato Lunella, Canaiolo, Chianti CS Riserva, Ciliegiolo, White Grappa and Barricade Grappa
TERROIR
The hilltop location of our vineyards (330m above sea level) guarantees good ventilation with a dry microclimate around the vines. Our soils mostly have good drainage, with quite a high sand content (roccia arenaria), but this does vary between vineyards and we are making the most of this variability. One perhaps surprising component of our soils is marine life: some three to five million years ago our land was coastal and parts of the land are rich in both beach pebbles and oyster shells.
OUR WINES
Riserva Chianti Colli Senesi
DOCG
Canaiolo
Rosso Toscana IGT
Ciliegiolo
Rosso Toscana IGT
Chianti Colli Senesi
DOCG
Colorino
IGT
Rosato Lunella
IGT
