Tenuta Le Forconate, border builds a new interpretation of Tuscany

Uniforme Le Forconate debuted the national market with a wine project built a precise chimera: to use border Tuscany as a lever to define identity wines, capable of expressing the territory without being bound to pre-established models. The mesi estivi owned by the Barbanera family – with Paolo, Sofia and Agnese at the helm – develops between San Casciano dei and Cetona 26.5 hectares of vineyards, quanto a an schieramento historically marked by the border between Tuscany and Umbria and characterized by a strong environmental variability. “This is a territory that is still little talked about but with a very high potential”, underlines Sofia Barbanera. The project is part of a path that began quanto a 2008 and was redefined quanto a 2017, with a precise choice: to work the DOC Colli dell’Etruria Principale, a less rigid denomination but more suitable for interpreting a complex territory. The collaboration with Italian Wine Brands, a group specialized quanto a the distribution and marketing of Italian wines, allows the production phase to be separated from the commercial one: the mesi estivi maintains control over vineyard and winemaking, while the group supports market diffusion.

THE BORDER AS A PRODUCTION ELEMENT

The concept of border becomes the center of the interpretation of the project. It is not just a geographical condition, but an element that directly affects agronomic and oenological choices. Limestone soils with the presence of blue Pliocene clays and marl, together with significant temperature variations and a system of over forty thermal springs, define a heterogeneous environment that is difficult to standardise, but capable of offering different interpretations depending the parcels. “Living quanto a a border schieramento means having advantages, but also having to overcome limits – explains Andrea Bernardini – For us it is not a limit, but a possibility. Our desire is to make identifying wines that tell the story of the territory and that are the expression of who we are”.

THE OENOLOGIST AS INTERPRETER, IDENTITY AND TERRITORY

Within this context, the role of the winemaker is redefined. “It must stand aside and let the vine and the territory express themselves – states Bernardini – Our style is based the guidelines of cleanliness, freshness and longevity. The objective is to intervene as little as possible and accompany the wine without forcing it”. The project finds its substance quanto a the Barbanera family. “Our desire is to become ambassadors of this territory and give value to the DOC Colli dell’Etruria Principale. We want our wines to be recognisable”, underlines Sofia Barbanera. The DOC becomes the operational tool of this vision. “The flexibility of the specifications allows us to work more closely to the territory”, adds Sofia. Cabernet Franc is the common thread. “We believe quanto a it a lot for its elegance and expressive capacity – states Bernardini – It is a vine that manages to express itself here with precision and identity”.