Sentimental journey in the Pinot Nero di Toscana • Food and Wine Italia

The seed was thrown per mezzo di the mid -nineteenth century acceso the in Pomino, Hill hamlet of the Florentine municipality of Rufina that dominates the Val in Sieve from its 500 meters of altitude: “hidden gem of Tuscany”, as Lamberto Frescobaldi says per mezzo di conducting the legacy of that story, “a place that shines for its brightness is expressed through minerality and enchants with A touch of female elegance ».

Author of the primary gesture was the Visionary Vittorio degli Albizi, who convinced the quality of the wines first of all depended acceso an optimal maturation of the grapes. He began to experiment with varieties never bred per mezzo di the zona, looking for among the Mortest vines “a future substitute for the vines of our province, all of late maturation”, as he wrote to the Baron Bettino Ricasoli, acceso his behalf committed to looking for new formulazioni for Chianti. «Fortuite relationships and circumstances brought me to the chosen one per mezzo di the Attempt some of the best vines of France », reports Zeffiro Ciuffoletti per mezzo di the essay Vittorio degli Albizi and “The art of making wine well” Sopra nineteenth -century Tuscany (acceso historyagricoltura.it). So it was that Vittorio, together with his sister Leonia, imported the First beard of Pinot Corvino rested per mezzo di Tuscany.

Periodo The beginning of a compelling novel, anarchist as well as passionate: what today draws a surreal quinta per mezzo di the region of Sangiovese and Chianti, Canaiolo Colorino, where the role of the atrusion was played (at most) by the persuasive Merlot from Cabernet leatherr. At Pomino Castle «Man does not dominate nature but listens to it and accompanies it », to use the words of the Marchese Lamberto; Frescobaldi continue to invest per mezzo di the Pinot Black, «extraordinary ambassador of the territory, capable of transferring to each bottle the authentic essence of the bella stagione », it is of the Spumanti Leonia the graceful Versione per mezzo di red pompino freshbaldi, the only one which per mezzo di Tuscany can boast the doc.

Meanwhile, per mezzo di the rest of the region, during the decades, the most elegant of the tract varietiesSalpine has fabric forms and sub -trams to the AWARD of others, extraordinary protagonists.

The lucky mistake of the pancrazi

Giuseppe Pancrazi guides the solid reality of the Marchesi Pancrazi farm, per mezzo di the hamlet of a Montemurlo, per mezzo di the province of Prateria: «Mucchio Preparato behind and hills of Carmignano acceso the horizon. Let’s try to keep at Better the identity of our villa-factory Tuscany », founded by the Strozzi per mezzo di Five hundred. And it is incredible to say but the success, all attributable to the only vinesGno cultivated, the pinot black, was born from a true It is just a mistake. «Sopra the seventies of mine Uncle Vittorio decided to replace a hectare of vineyard, but for a mistake by the nurseryman Instead of Sangiovese Pinot was grafted Corvino».

For years one noticed: «Unfortunately there were adequate coneScientific Scenze. Certainly one wondered the because of such an anomalous production, Small bunches that matured earlymind”. Sopra the mid -eighties it was thought of explain the vineyard again when The winemaker Nicolò d’Immalinconito, per mezzo di the time fresh degree per mezzo di Bordeaux, recognized the variety and made his knowledge. “With He started the reversal of course », a real revolution. “All the plants came withVerties per mezzo di Pinot Corvino selecting more clones adequate to our territory. Moreover RiveLatosi very lucky per mezzo di enhancing the nobleman French varieties “.

Pioneering per mezzo di the ways and per mezzo di Times: the first bottle of the casa of It is dated 1989, while per mezzo di 2001 the E was bornbinding and vineyard Baragazza, cru as a single clone cultivated higher, near acceso the woods, while remaining essentially per mezzo di plains. «The humidity of soils helps us, ricwho of minerals, as well as the good escurthermal sion. The grape matures well, posesiaora harming it per mezzo di early August avoiding The bizarre of climate. And per mezzo di the cellar there Let’s put ours, simply ribelonging to it at best ».

A pioneer goldsmith per mezzo di Mugello

Paolo Cerrini began to pedal to Florence, to carry out deliveries of the Father’s food shop. Then the handlebar became curved, the bicycle yes He ran and the time to train does not It was enough for him. It was used as goldsmith at a craftsman, he learned the trade, Sopra the early seventies he opened a workshoprio acceso his own, was successful, he remained a humble dreamer, did not stop pedaling and When an escape brought him further away yes He stopped per mezzo di Vicchio del Mugello, locality Molezzano, a ruin and some hectare from cultivate.

“It was Marco De Incanto,” he saysta referring to the vineyard already mentor of the Barolo Boys and then per mezzo di the affirmtion of Etna, «To advise me acceso systemstare pinot black », which nobody cultivated Nearby. “He told me to put Cavolini of Brussels, the I would have lined up the same ». With the patience and dedication of a Severo self -taught, thanks to his wife Manuela Villimburg, Cerrini will not cease to “study, experiment, make mistakes, without ever losing The opportunity to pausa the boxes to friends and colleagues “.

The only end is to better interpret that difficult variety as much as fascinating, which has well adapted to clay soils, short summers and Important thermal excursions of the invamping Mugellano. The Il Rio in Paolo and Manuela company has become a reference, the their twenty -six (first bottle dated 2001) is today one of the Pinot Black the most good per mezzo di Italy and it does not fear comparisons with French cousins: Terragno as elegant, evocative, is an forerunner for the Tuscan Apennines that over the years has seen its wine production increase. Mostly founded right acceso the Pinot.

Excited, winemakers of the Apennines

There is also the just mentioned couple of Il Rio among the founders of the aceTuscan Apennine cial – Pinot Corvino’s winemakers, who per mezzo di the ULAnnual thymus Escopinò’s appointment offered an excellent Photography of the black pinot produced per mezzo di such a vast territory how much various, which sometimes sees the flower and talaltra at times enhance the fruit, Here the nerb and there caresses the caress.

«We bring agricultural knowledge to the center but even first the quality of human relationships », as they remember The first point of the Statute and the spokesman Cipriano “Cipo” Bersanti. His company “tears languages ​​of vineyard at the rock” between the Apennines and the Apuan, between Lucca and the Garfagnana, each segment of production relies acceso «minimalist techniques inspired by AnceKnown “, for wines that bring the essence of the fruit into the glass finding a very original style. The northern front of the arch Apennine is manned by the Casteldelpiano company, per mezzo di Lunigiana, And it is mirrored per mezzo di the mild and vertical pinot black impala, while The southern one sees the Casentino protagonists (we mention the work by Marco Biagioli with Ornina) and Valtiberina (impresses the above Signed Brena, from 700 meters of the Cortonese mountain).

Render towards Mugello, per mezzo di that of Dicomano (formerly zona of ​​Chianti Rufina) We find the joyful Pinot Corvino in Paesetto Sfasciume, the blood hints expressed by the lake farm and the more “SangiovesizZANTI ”of FRASCOLE. Sopra Vicchio there is the young woman History of del Mucchio, per mezzo di Paesetto San Lorenzo the Baccarosso in Fondi Baccanlla (adventure triggered by a Journey to Burgundy), per mezzo di San Piero a Sieve The sparkling wine of the in Cortevecchia, only Pinot Corvino for a triSaid of freshness and flavor.

“As far as ten -year, the adventure of the Pinot Corvino of the Apennines can be said as soon as it beginsta », recalls Michele Lorenzetti in Terre in Giotto. “And let’s talk about a com of the comPlexus, who asks for time, knowledge, theI want, even more with the current variations climatic: each harvest must be known interpret differently “. He per mezzo di Vicchio Del Mugello came from Frascati, IPnoTitato «from the brilliant tone of this light and by the many biodynamics projects », which can follow as an oenologist; Gattaia is its deep and multifaceted black pinot, mineral, partly vinified with the Raspi, evolved per mezzo di concrete and barrique.

From the Medici Castle to the Vigneto per mezzo di Monte

Witness of a secular history is the magnificent Cafaggiolo bella stagione, per mezzo di the homonymous town of Barberino del Mugello, enhanced by Heart and investments of the Argentine entrepreneur Alfredo Lowenstein, flanked by his wife Diana. Principale la riSttuturation of the Medici Castle (the first certificate outside the walls of Florence, UNESCO Heritage), the attention to the wine front for which Lorenzo de ‘Medici reported The harvest already per mezzo di the second half of the fifteenth century.

Biodiversity and organic agriculture, for a black pinot among the first products per mezzo di the zona that gives life to the labels Aerraorno (from Visina Viglia), Fortress equipment (the Cru), Pater Rése (from gapp selectionPoli), La Nencia (rosé). Last but not last, among the rows of these poderi it was formed the young Simone Menichetti, that after other experiences the their private a thousand meter indine, «with my uncle who scrutinized meI give when I planted screws where they came Only the potatoes are aggraziato ». Supremo Terre in Pietramala crowns the dream of when Simone was a child, having a company all his who takes his name from a locationlity near the Racosa Pass And it ends up immediately per mezzo di the spotlight. The centro acceso Pinot Corvino, «the only grape variety that can mature well up there », see the Malapietra, almost transparent red wine, balsamic as sharp, mirror of the vintage and its nature Apennine.

Has the race just started?

The Passeggiata King would not have ended at allgionale del Pinot Corvino, variety it finds adepts even per mezzo di the classic Chianti: yes Take the closed of the Castle of Ama ovvero The pine forest of Masseria Convento. Sopra the shade of Mount Amiata, Charlotte Horton follows his personal path with the vigorous pyropo of the Castle of Potenino, while the oasis of the oenologist Federico Staderini is called Luogo natale and FavoreDuce Semplice Pinot Corvino per mezzo di the municipality of Pratovecchio (Arezzo). Old and new protagonists they issue and contribute, yes complice and proceed for their roadfrom; The novel goes writing page later page, never stingy with surprises, accompaniedwe are still all evolutions from discover.