Rosso di Montalcino Pian dell’ Orino
This estate is adjacent to the Biondi Santi property and the area has a long history of being particularly suited for growing grapes for high quality wines. “Our love for Tuscany and passion for viticulture binds us particularly to this land, our vines and the resulting wines”. The wines come from four different vineyards that add up to a total area of six hectares.
Right from the beginning Caroline Pobitzer and Jan Hendrik Erbach studied the soil and the structure of each vineyard in order to fully understand its characteristics. Fossils, petrified shells and chalk sediment all testify to the earth’s evolutions and recount marine flooding and periods of drought in the area.
To preserve the special identity of their vineyards they assiduously follow organic practises. Farming is only organic if it respects and protects the complex correlations and the equilibrium of a habitat. From the start the goal is to create and sustain the maximum harmony possible between vineyard, climate, soil and mankind. They encapsulate their philosophy thus: “Energy has great importance in the organisation of our daily work. In particular the phases of the moon – which affect nature and the life of all creatures, regulate growth and reinforce quality – are an important point of reference on our decision making. Our vines have never been treated with herbicides, chemical pesticides, insecticides or soluble mineral fertilisers. Their immune system is reinforced by special infusions that we make with nettles, equisetum and yarrow and biodynamic preparations. We use propolis to protect the vine from infections caused by fungi and bacteria. We plant many kinds of grasses, including aromatic varieties, in order to encourage biodiversity, maintain the contents of the humus and improve the soil structure. In our vineyards bees and butterflies have an infinite choice of beautiful flowers.
“Our goal is to fully understand the diverse characteristics of the vineyards that we cultivate. To this end we separate the grapes picked from each vineyard during the vinification in order to make separate wines. The work we do in the vineyards is an important way of getting to know the vines themselves at close hand. “Our shared mother is the land that nourishes us, and together we grow with what she offers” (Béla Hamvas).
“We are very attached to the land on which our vineyards grow. The soil itself gives us strength and inspires us to respect nature and the environment. The grapes are pruned between flowering and their changing colour, leaving no more than four bunches per vine. Before the harvest, the grapes are controlled once again on the vine in order to eliminate any single grape that is mouldy due to meteorological conditions or imperfect in any way. This same control is repeated throughout the harvest.”
Bravo, you may say and you would be correct. The mature and carefully selected grapes are picked by hand and taken to the cellar in crates that contain only twenty kilos each. The final selection takes place on a large table, before the grapes are placed in the de-stemmer and, at last, into the barrels for vinification.
The fermentation at Pian dell’Orino is induced by naturally occurring yeasts from the grape skins. Spontaneous fermentation starts between one and three days from the harvest, depending on the vintage. No extra yeasts, no industrial enzymes or further additives are used.
The Rosso di Montalcino is made from pure Sangiovese Grosso. The grapes are selected in the same way as for the Brunello di Montalcino. The difference is found in the wine-making. Spontaneous fermentation starts after one or two days of maceration. The temperature is automatically controlled so that it does not exceed 30°C. The must macerates for two or three weeks, depending on the vintage, in order to obtain mainly fruity flavours and finesse. Once fermentation has concluded, the wine is transferred to barriques and small 500-litre barrels, where the malolactic fermentation takes place. After maturing for one year in the barrels, the wine is bottled and kept in the cellar for another three months. Beautiful wine. Restrained, almost poised nose, then supremely elegant with vivid red and black fruits underpinned by vibrant minerality. This wine makes my spirit soar.