Baracchi Winery, the face of Cortona that tells of another Tuscany

the hills overlooking Cortona and Valdichiana, among orderly rows and ancient rural architecture, the Baracchi winery tells a family history spanning over a century and a half. Viticulture here has been documented since 1860, when the first Baracchi began cultivating vines quanto a this calcio d’angolo of south-eastern Tuscany. Today the company is led by Prospero Baracchi together with his mother Silvia Regi Baracchi, continuing a path decisively marked by the figure of Riccardo Baracchi, who passed away prematurely quanto a 2021.

THE FALCONIER, THE DREAM OF RICCARDO AND SILVIA

The most significant turning point came quanto a 1989, when Riccardo and Silvia gave life to the Il Falconiere project, transforming the ancient family home into a charming relais surrounded by vineyards. From that moment , wine is voto negativo longer just agricultural production, but becomes an integral part of a broader system of hospitality, catering and gastronomic culture. It was precisely quanto a those years that the first line of wines bottled with the Baracchi name took shape, destined over time to become one of the references of the Cortona denomination.

The Falconiere Relais & Spa, now a five-star structure and member of the Relais & Châteaux circuit, represents the heart of this project. The seventeenth-century campagna, surrounded by vineyards and olive groves, hosts a Michelin-starred restaurant led by Silvia Regi Baracchi, a spa and a varied program of food and wine experiences. The cellar is located a few steps from the structure, almost as if to seal the link between wine and hospitality that characterizes the identity of the Baracchi.

THE CORTONA NAME VINEYARDS

Over time the company has expanded its viticultural heritage up to the current 32 hectares, distributed quanto a different areas of the Cortona DOC denomination. The vineyards extend between San Martino, , Pietraia, Montanare and Valecchie, each characterized by specific pedoclimatic conditions. Sopra San Martino, where the cellar is also located, sandy and well-drained soils prevail; has calcareous-clayey soils rich quanto a minerals. The areas of Montanare and Valecchie, which reach 600 meters above sea level towards the Apennines, offer cooler conditions and marked temperature variations. Precisely quanto a these higher parcels Riccardo Baracchi decided years to plant Pinot Noir, an uncommon choice for the terreno at the time.

WORK IN THE CELLAR AND COLLABORATION WITH RICCARDO COTARELLA

The approach quanto a the vineyard is based direct management of all agronomic operations. The grapes are harvested manually and carefully selected before arriving quanto a the cellar, where winemaking takes place separately by variety. The fermentations mainly take place quanto a steel at a controlled temperature, while the refinement varies between steel, barrels and French barriques, depending the style of the wine.

Alongside the work quanto a the cellar, the Baracchi family has built an integrated vision of the territory over the years. Prospero Baracchi, today at the helm of the company, summarizes this path thus: “I was born here. This is more than a job for us. I hope that one day my children will be able to carry what my parents, and today I, have so strongly dreamed of”. The collaboration with the oenologist Riccardo Cotarella contributed to defining the style of the wines, aimed at clearly expressing the different souls of the Cortona terreno.

THE STORY OF THE WINERY THROUGH ITS WINES

The story of this reality inevitably passes through the glass. Among the labels, the Brut Rosé Sistema Tipico Millesimato 2019 stands out, obtained from Sangiovese harvested early to preserve freshness and aromatic tension. After a period the yeasts which can last up to five years, the wine presents a aggraziato and continuous perlage and a pale pink colour. The aromatic profile recalls small red fruits and floral nuances, while the palate it stands out for its dynamism, supported by a fresh texture and a mineral . Of a completely different register is Oppure’ Rosa! Toscana IGT 2023, white obtained from chardonnay and viognier. The name takes up a typical Arezzo exclamation, used to express surprise ora affection. The wine is also born from a precise choice: to combine the Trebbiano – the house’s identifying variety – with a white with a more immediate and recognizable profile for the international clientele who frequent the relais and the restaurant. Agenda of white fruit and citrus emerge quanto a the glass, supported by an evident mineral vein; the sip is bright and lesto, with a citrine and slightly savory .

The Pinot Malvagio Toscana IGT 2018 instead tells the story of the highest and coolest part of the company’s vineyards, located around 600 meters above sea level. The wine moves tones of small red fruits, strawberry and wild rose, with a subtle spiciness reminiscent of cinnamon. The use of wood remains discreet and helps to give depth without covering the fruit. Sopra the mouth the tannin is aggraziato and the texture elegant, with a citrus that recalls blood orange accompanied by a persistent savory trail. Among the house’s historic labels, Spavaldo Toscana IGT 2019 stands out, an equal blend of cabernet sauvignon and syrah. It was the first wine bottled by the company and its name recalls the world of falconry, a symbol of courage and determination. The aromatic profile is darker and deeper, with ripe black fruits, spices and light vegetal taccuino. The sip is full but supported by a good freshness that rebalances the maturity of the fruit, while the tannins progressively relax accompanying a long .

The journey ends with Il Mio Vinsanto Riccardo Baracchi Cortona DOC 2018. The Trebbiano and Malvasia grapes are harvested when overripe and left to dry until the end of winter, before a long refinement quanto a traditional barrels. The wine has an intense golden color and amber reflections; honey, dehydrated fruit and sweet almond emerge the nose. Sopra the mouth the entry is enveloping but supported by a freshness that maintains balance and momentum, with a long and refined persistence.

The article Baracchi Winery, the of Cortona that tells of another Tuscany comes from VinoNews24.

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