There is no way I would call myself a wine afficianado - I wouldn't even profess to be able to tell the difference between a good merlot and a fine cabernet, but a day out to a renowned Tuscan vineyard last week completely changed my outlook on the concept of "fine Italian wines".
Tuscany is known the world over as a producer of characterful, individual wines and Chianti is probably the best known of the production regions. There are, however, a number of reputedly important vineyards not far from where we live and particularly along the road through the beautiful countryside in the Valliano di Montpulciano between the Tuscan towns of Cortona and Montepulciano. With this knowledge in mind I texted our estate agent friend Laura, who lives in Chianciano Terme and who is knowledgeable about all things to do with hospitality, food and drink in this area, to ask where we could take the friends staying with us for a vineyard experience. She quickly texted back and said there was only one place to go - Avignonesi. We looked up the vineyard's details on the internet and discovered they offered a vineyard visit followed by a premium wine tasting lunch - the whole lasting about 4 hours. It seemed perfect, but at 95 euros per person a bit on the pricey side. After talking it through we decided to go for it and rang to make a reservation. They were booked up for the next few days (we thought this was a good sign) but we managed to get a date about a week ahead. With other visits to organize and prepare for the Avignonesi vineyard then went to the back burner and I forgot all about it for several days.
TOUR OF THE VINEYARD
The morning of the vineyard visit finally arrived and it was another perfect autumn day - azure blue cloudless skies and a predicted temperature in the 20's - we couldn't have placed an order for such a day and got a better one. I still wasn't especially motivated about the day though - I tend to get much more excited about a visit to see some fine Renaissance architecture or a museum full of antiquities these days. Not wishing to dull the enthusiasm of Jon and my friends, however, I donned suitable light, comfortable clothing and a hat and we set off to arrive at the vineyard by noon.
I know enough to appreciate most vineyards in this area are situated on a hillside to provide good drainage and suitable aspects to the sun and Avignonesi was no exception. When we turned off the road we gradually followed a small lane marked by the ubiquitous and dignified line of tall green cypress trees. We were soon also passing by the regimentally aligned vines and even from the car window I could see they were laden with black grapes. Harvesting looked imminent and I would later discover these were the famous Sangiovese grape variety vines. At the top of the hill we parked the car and walked back to approach the vineyard buildings through a pretty gateway.
The reception building was on our right. A warm welcome awaited us within and we were soon offered a seat on the outside terrace and a glass of prosecco whilst we waited for the rest of our group to turn up. Evidently numbers are limited in each premium tasting group to 18 people. Soon others joined us and I could hear American accents and conversations going on in other European languages including Dutch and German. A few minutes later and it was time to set off to see the vines. Our guide was the delightful young woman who had greeted us when we arrived and we all followed her out to the courtyard gate. First we heard about the fascinating history of the vineyard.
Founded in the late 19th century by a local family, the vineyard has been producing wines ever since though the Avignonesi brand was not established until 1974. Now the enterprise involves growth of vines and production of wines on several different sites stretching from Cortona to the area round Montepulciano. There were several points of interest which I'll try to recap on here. In 2009 the vineyard and its related vineyards were sold to a single owner - a Belgian lawyer called Virginie Saverys who had evidently been an enthusiastic and knowledgeable sleeping partner for many years.
The new ownership from the start produced some radical changes - principally in turning all production over to organic methods. For one whole year, whilst this was in progress, there was no wine production at all. The vineyeard workers were anxious at the time as organic certification is a long and drawn out process - but the first organic wines have now reached the shelves and more will soon follow. Confidence amongst the vineyard community is now at an all time high and the vineyards employ over 100 people from over 20 nationalities. Secondly, a scientific approach to grape production has been also been taken very seriously here and this was signalled by our guide first showing us an experimental circular vine cultivation area just outside the main gate. The objective is to get the very best from the Sangiovese grapes grown on the hillsides surrounding the property.
This distinctive grape has an interesting history and takes its name from the latin SANGUIS JOVIS - "the blood of Jove" (Jupiter). The name Sangiovese, legend has it, was coined by the monks of the commune of Santarchangelo di Romagna. Its origins appear to go all the way back to the Etruscan period and the Romans also probably cultivated it.
DNA analysis in 2004 revealed its ancestors to be the Cilieglio and Cababrese Montenuovo grapes - the latter originating from the toe of Italy. In the late 16th century Giovanvettorio Soderini noted its qualities in his writings. By the 18th century its cultivation was widespread and today it's cultivated all the way from Romagna in the north to Sicily in the south, but its especially suited to the lands of the central area making it a vine of choice in many of the limestone rich soils of Tuscany. Its a famous component of Brunello di Montalcino and the main component of Vino Nobile de Montalcino.
The Sangiovese grape is not surprisingly the main vine of the Avignonesi vineyard and its cultivation, as I mentioned earlier, is evolving on the back of careful research. The first field we were shown by our guide, established in 2006 and just outside the gate and on an area of flat land, was unusual in that it was circular - focussed on a central point marked by a single tall Cypress tree. The vines had been cultivated in circles emanating from the middle creating a density difference between vines grown in the inner circle compared with those in the outer rings. The vineyard wine makers were keen to discover what differences there would be in the annual harvest when different densities of vine cultivation were employed. Surprisingly the results showed the vines did best in the inner rings where the density of vines was greatest. It might have been expected that where each bush had less space and possibly not as much sun - the harvest would be least favourable in terms of the quality of the grapes and the amounts harvested. In fact the opposite turned out to be true. High density planting seemed to make the vines more vigorous - forcing the root systems to go lower down in the soil to exploit the nutrient layers there and producing a generally more vigorous bush with more flowers and better bunches of grapes. The results of the survey have led to high density planting systems being introduced in other fields in the vineyard like the one we visited next.
This field contained a high density planting of vines - 7150 plants per hectare in fact and each planted independantly and never to be in the shade. The company expects to pick about 4 bunches per vine during the harvest and these are selected whilst the grapes are still at the green stage. All processes are done by hand. 2016 has not been a good year for the production of Sangiovese grapes however. Poor weather conditions, including a bad hail storm just a couple of months ago, has affected the production. The harvest, which has taken place only recently, has been very poor. Whereas the yard usually expects to make for example 2000 bottles of Vin Santo dessert wines per annum - this year they will be lucky if they produce 200.
Our next stop was back inside the compound where an attractive red brick building next to reception and the shop housed the drying room for the Sangiovese grapes.
Most of the grapes in it had only just been placed there so we were lucky to see them at the beginning of the drying cycle. Inside it was dark and gloomy but our eyes soon adjusted to the dim light and we could soon make out an elaborate racking system, each shelf covered with bamboo to provide decks where the grapes could be set out and the air could circulate round them.
The grapes would rest here at a controlled temperature of 16 to 17 degrees for 6 months before being taken away for pressing at one of the other sites and where the wine making could begin in earnest. After these processes have been carried out for the dessert wine Vin Santo - 100 year old yeast cultures are added to the proto wine and it is then casked so fermentation can start in warm temperatures and then continue over a long period of time.
Our next visit took us to the first of the vineyards cellars and here we could see the small racked oak Vin Santo casks containing the fermenting wine. Each was stamped and labelled and I was shocked to discover the process takes 10 years to mature and fully oxidise the wine - the volume inside the barrel reducing from 85% to about 50% during that time. Only then is it bottled and it will then rest for a further year before it is allowed to be sold. It takes 7 kilos of grapes to make one bottle of the wine.
Finally we were taken down a flight of stairs beneath the Vin Santo cellar to the ones below it, the date of 1882 carved on a stone above the door. This we were informed is where the large barrels of Sangiovese wine are matured for varying periods of time. The guide asked if any of us were allergic to moulds - nobody owned up to being of that disposition! Inside it was windowless, dark and gloomy but amazingly atmospheric and as we all gingerly walked along the pathway between the lines of casks slightly in awe of what we were seeing. A few minutes more and we were back in the bright sunshine and it was time for lunch, A short stroll over the courtyard brought us to the restaurant building.
THE LUNCH
Lunch was taken in a beautiful garden room overlooking the vineyard and the hillside below. Tables were reserved for each group of guests and every one was attended by three members of staff.
There were three choices of dish available for each of the three courses and I'm showing you here what I chose. All of it was perfectly cooked and served and made from locally sourced produce. Needless to say it was absolutely delicious and I would give all of it a 10/10 Cox scoring. Jon and our friends from London made other selections. A vegetarian option was available at each course.
FIRST COURSE
ZUPETTA DI VERDURE DEL NOSTRO ORTO CON BASILICO FRESCO
Vegetable soup (vegetables from our own garden) with fresh basil
MAIN COURSE
BOCCONCINI DI CHIANINA IN UMIDO AL VINO NOBILE SU SPINACI AL VAPORE E FLAN DI PATATE
Chianina beef stew, slow cooked in our own Vino Nobile served on wilted spinach, accompaned with potato flan.
This stew, made with beef from the famous Val di Chiana cow, was outstanding - beautifully flavoured and it melted in the mouth!!
DESSERT
PROVOCAZIONE: DELIZIE CREATE DALL CHEF IN ABBINAMENTO AL VIN SANTO.
Provocation - Vin Santo pairings created by our chef.
I have a picture of this - I would kill to have a repeat of this dessert!!
THE WINES
The menu had been planned to allow for wine accompaniments from the vineyard to be presented in the best possible context. Again there was a choice of wines availabe with each course. This is what was presented to us. Each wine was described and explained so novices like me could make an informed choice at each stage. There was also no stinting on quantities offered and the waiting staff regularly came round offereing top ups.
AVIGNONESI - IL MARZOCCO
The chef's welcom wine - white and delicately flavoured and an example of the newly certified organic wines being offered by the vineyard.
Grapes - chardonnay, Grechetto. Aged for 6 months in French oak casks.
E22 per bottle
FIRST COURSE
Either
AVIGNONESI - LA TONDA
or
AVIGNONESI - GRAND ANNATE
Grape - Sangiovese
Aged for 18 months in French oak casks
E59 per bottle
SECOND COURSE
Either
AVINGNONESI DESIDERIO
Grapes 85% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon
Aged for 18 months in French oak casks
E32 per bottle
or
AVIGNONESI GRIFI
Grapes 57%, Sangiovese 43% Cabernet
Aged for 16 months in French oak casks
E 35 per bottle
or
AVIGNONESI 50&50
Grapes 50% Merlot, 50% Sangiovese
Aged for 36 months in French oak casks
E99 per bottle
At a supplement special vintage wines from the Grifi and 50/50 wines were available but we didn't feel the need to sample these.
DESSERT
Either
AVIGNONESI - OCCHIO DI PERNICE VIN SANTO DI MONTEPULCIANO
Grapes - Sangiovese
Aged for 10 years in 50 litre oak casks
E60 for 100ml bottle
or
AVIGNONESI VIN SANTO DI MONTEPULCIANO
Grapes Malvasia, Trebbiano Tuscana
Aged for 10 years in 50 litre oak casks
E50 for 100 ml bottle
Prices per bottle are those quoted in the shop for October 2016.
I feel inadequate to comment on what we tasted other than to say all the wines seemed to me to be of excellent quality. I could definitely appreciate that the red wines in particular were both rich and complex and whilst I wouldn't profess to be able to establish the notes for each, I could identify contrasting blends of fruitiness, spiciness and woody tastes from the oak casks used to mature all the wines. They were just lovely and a complete contrast to what I realise is the plonk I mostly seem to have consumed back home. The Vin Santo is something else. Not a great fan of sweet dessert wines I tasted this one with some trepidation. When it was poured from the bottle I could see it had the most gorgeous amber colour and consistency. The taste was to me smooth, creamy and deliciously subtle - I would definitely have it again.
I came away from the Avignonesi experience with a new appreciation of Tuscan wines and good food. We thought the price for the premium tour represented excellent value for money.The passion and love which goes in to making these wines, not to mention the length of time it takes to produce them, is awesome and has provided not only good memories but also a small knowledge base I shall use when purchasing future bottles of Italian wine. Perfecto!!.
CIAO & KBO
Ian
PS The vineyard kitchens offer cookery courses to accompany the premium tour which begin in the morning. I'm thinking of sending Jon on one of those. See the vineyard's web site for details.
 |
| THE AVIGNONESI VINEYARD FROM THE ROAD |
TOUR OF THE VINEYARD
The morning of the vineyard visit finally arrived and it was another perfect autumn day - azure blue cloudless skies and a predicted temperature in the 20's - we couldn't have placed an order for such a day and got a better one. I still wasn't especially motivated about the day though - I tend to get much more excited about a visit to see some fine Renaissance architecture or a museum full of antiquities these days. Not wishing to dull the enthusiasm of Jon and my friends, however, I donned suitable light, comfortable clothing and a hat and we set off to arrive at the vineyard by noon.
I know enough to appreciate most vineyards in this area are situated on a hillside to provide good drainage and suitable aspects to the sun and Avignonesi was no exception. When we turned off the road we gradually followed a small lane marked by the ubiquitous and dignified line of tall green cypress trees. We were soon also passing by the regimentally aligned vines and even from the car window I could see they were laden with black grapes. Harvesting looked imminent and I would later discover these were the famous Sangiovese grape variety vines. At the top of the hill we parked the car and walked back to approach the vineyard buildings through a pretty gateway.
 |
| THE COURTYARD - THE BUILDING AT THE FAR END IS THE VIN SANTO CASK CELLAR |
Founded in the late 19th century by a local family, the vineyard has been producing wines ever since though the Avignonesi brand was not established until 1974. Now the enterprise involves growth of vines and production of wines on several different sites stretching from Cortona to the area round Montepulciano. There were several points of interest which I'll try to recap on here. In 2009 the vineyard and its related vineyards were sold to a single owner - a Belgian lawyer called Virginie Saverys who had evidently been an enthusiastic and knowledgeable sleeping partner for many years.
 |
| VIRGINIE SAVERYS - THE BELGIAN OWNER OF AVIGNONESI SINCE 2009 |
 |
| THE EDGE OF THE EXPERIMENTAL CIRCULAR VINEYARD OUTSIDE THE MAIN GATEWAY |
 |
| BUNCHES OF BEAUTIFUL SANGIOVESE GRAPES IN THE DRYING ROOM |
The Sangiovese grape is not surprisingly the main vine of the Avignonesi vineyard and its cultivation, as I mentioned earlier, is evolving on the back of careful research. The first field we were shown by our guide, established in 2006 and just outside the gate and on an area of flat land, was unusual in that it was circular - focussed on a central point marked by a single tall Cypress tree. The vines had been cultivated in circles emanating from the middle creating a density difference between vines grown in the inner circle compared with those in the outer rings. The vineyard wine makers were keen to discover what differences there would be in the annual harvest when different densities of vine cultivation were employed. Surprisingly the results showed the vines did best in the inner rings where the density of vines was greatest. It might have been expected that where each bush had less space and possibly not as much sun - the harvest would be least favourable in terms of the quality of the grapes and the amounts harvested. In fact the opposite turned out to be true. High density planting seemed to make the vines more vigorous - forcing the root systems to go lower down in the soil to exploit the nutrient layers there and producing a generally more vigorous bush with more flowers and better bunches of grapes. The results of the survey have led to high density planting systems being introduced in other fields in the vineyard like the one we visited next.
This field contained a high density planting of vines - 7150 plants per hectare in fact and each planted independantly and never to be in the shade. The company expects to pick about 4 bunches per vine during the harvest and these are selected whilst the grapes are still at the green stage. All processes are done by hand. 2016 has not been a good year for the production of Sangiovese grapes however. Poor weather conditions, including a bad hail storm just a couple of months ago, has affected the production. The harvest, which has taken place only recently, has been very poor. Whereas the yard usually expects to make for example 2000 bottles of Vin Santo dessert wines per annum - this year they will be lucky if they produce 200.
 |
| OUR GUIDE INTRODUCES US TO THE FIRST OF THE HIGH DENSITY PLANTED SANGIOVESE VINE FIELDS |
 |
| THE PRETTY EXTERIOR OF THE SANGIOVESE GRAPE DRYING ROOM |
 |
| INSIDE THE GRAPE DRYING ROOM THE GRAPES WILL REMAIN HERE FOR 6 MONTHS AFTER HARVEST |
 |
| THE VIN SANTO CASK CELLAR THE CASKS WILL REMAIN HERE FOR 10 YEARS! |
 |
| EACH VIN SANTO CASK IS CLEARLY LABELLED AND DATED |
 |
| THE 1882 CELLARS AT AVIGNONESI |
THE LUNCH
Lunch was taken in a beautiful garden room overlooking the vineyard and the hillside below. Tables were reserved for each group of guests and every one was attended by three members of staff.
 |
| THE GARDEN RESTAURANT WHERE WE HAD LUNCH |
FIRST COURSE
ZUPETTA DI VERDURE DEL NOSTRO ORTO CON BASILICO FRESCO
Vegetable soup (vegetables from our own garden) with fresh basil
 |
| JON SAMPLES THE FOOD AND TASTES THE WINE AT LUNCH |
BOCCONCINI DI CHIANINA IN UMIDO AL VINO NOBILE SU SPINACI AL VAPORE E FLAN DI PATATE
Chianina beef stew, slow cooked in our own Vino Nobile served on wilted spinach, accompaned with potato flan.
This stew, made with beef from the famous Val di Chiana cow, was outstanding - beautifully flavoured and it melted in the mouth!!
DESSERT
PROVOCAZIONE: DELIZIE CREATE DALL CHEF IN ABBINAMENTO AL VIN SANTO.
Provocation - Vin Santo pairings created by our chef.
I have a picture of this - I would kill to have a repeat of this dessert!!
 |
| THE CHEF'S "PROVOCAZIONE" I CHOSE FOR DESSERT |
The menu had been planned to allow for wine accompaniments from the vineyard to be presented in the best possible context. Again there was a choice of wines availabe with each course. This is what was presented to us. Each wine was described and explained so novices like me could make an informed choice at each stage. There was also no stinting on quantities offered and the waiting staff regularly came round offereing top ups.
 |
| THE WINE SELECTION WE WERE TO TASTE AT LUNCH |
AVIGNONESI - IL MARZOCCO
The chef's welcom wine - white and delicately flavoured and an example of the newly certified organic wines being offered by the vineyard.
Grapes - chardonnay, Grechetto. Aged for 6 months in French oak casks.
E22 per bottle
FIRST COURSE
Either
AVIGNONESI - LA TONDA
or
AVIGNONESI - GRAND ANNATE
Grape - Sangiovese
Aged for 18 months in French oak casks
E59 per bottle
SECOND COURSE
Either
AVINGNONESI DESIDERIO
Grapes 85% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon
Aged for 18 months in French oak casks
E32 per bottle
or
AVIGNONESI GRIFI
Grapes 57%, Sangiovese 43% Cabernet
Aged for 16 months in French oak casks
E 35 per bottle
or
AVIGNONESI 50&50
Grapes 50% Merlot, 50% Sangiovese
Aged for 36 months in French oak casks
E99 per bottle
At a supplement special vintage wines from the Grifi and 50/50 wines were available but we didn't feel the need to sample these.
DESSERT
Either
AVIGNONESI - OCCHIO DI PERNICE VIN SANTO DI MONTEPULCIANO
Grapes - Sangiovese
Aged for 10 years in 50 litre oak casks
E60 for 100ml bottle
or
AVIGNONESI VIN SANTO DI MONTEPULCIANO
Grapes Malvasia, Trebbiano Tuscana
Aged for 10 years in 50 litre oak casks
E50 for 100 ml bottle
Prices per bottle are those quoted in the shop for October 2016.
 |
| OUR FRIENDS LEARN ABOUT THE WINES |
I came away from the Avignonesi experience with a new appreciation of Tuscan wines and good food. We thought the price for the premium tour represented excellent value for money.The passion and love which goes in to making these wines, not to mention the length of time it takes to produce them, is awesome and has provided not only good memories but also a small knowledge base I shall use when purchasing future bottles of Italian wine. Perfecto!!.
CIAO & KBO
Ian
PS The vineyard kitchens offer cookery courses to accompany the premium tour which begin in the morning. I'm thinking of sending Jon on one of those. See the vineyard's web site for details.
No comments:
Post a Comment