Barone Ricasoli Brolio Chianti Classico DOCG 2018

Paul HowardArticles, Blog, Italy, Organic, Sustainability, Toscana

Ricasoli CC Brolio DOCG

Barone Ricasoli Brolio Chianti Classico DOCG 2018 Ricasoli and the Castello di Brolio probably need little introduction to many lovers of Chianti Classico. It’s one of the most iconic properties in Tuscany. Indeed, opening a bottle from Ricasoli always brings back fond memories of visits there. Firstly, there’s that imposing castle, the Florentine Castello di Brolio, acquired by the family …

Brunello di Montalcino Terroir: Tenute Silvio Nardi 2015’s

Paul HowardArticles, Blog, Italy, Organic, Toscana

Silvio Nardi Brunello 2015

Brunello di Montalcino Terroir: Tenute Silvio Nardi 2015’s Tenute Silvio Nardi has just released their three 2015 vintage Brunello di Montalcino DOCG wines. This article is about how each one expresses their particular Montalcino terroir. Let’s begin with a little more about Brunello and why Nardi is a classic producer. Then we can see how these wines express their environments …

MonteRosola, Emerging Tuscan Star

Paul HowardArticles, Blog, Italy, Organic, Sustainability, Toscana

MonteRosola Estate, Autunno

MonteRosola, Emerging Tuscan Star MonteRosola is a contemporary winery in the hills close to the hilltop town of Volterra in Tuscany. Volterra may be less familiar to some, so let’s start there to understand how MonteRosola and its wines fit into this delightful Tuscan landscape. Volterra claims the title, “the oldest town in Tuscany.” Indeed, various peoples had continuously occupied …

A Tuscany Travelogue – introducing Toscana

Paul HowardArticles, Blog, Italy, Toscana

Tuscany: Fontodi Conca d'Oro

A Tuscany Travelogue – introducing Toscana. This is an overview article about the wines of Tuscany because many regard it (with some justification) as quintessential Italy. This is a topic needing an entire book or two. However, here it is in less than 1,300 words. Two included maps show just how complex Tuscany is. For brevity, the links in the …

Vernaccia di San Gimignano Vigna a Solatio

Paul HowardArticles, Blog, Italy, Toscana

Vernaccia: San Gimignano from Casale Falchini

Vernaccia di San Gimignano Vigna a Solatio Riccardo Falchini bought the property now known as Casale-Falchini back in 1964. This was an ancient convent located outside the San Gimignano city walls, with forty hectares of vineyards and olive groves occupying the green rolling sandstone hills. From there, the famous medieval towers of the city dominate the skyline. He has worked …

Tenuta di Ghizzano and a double anniversary

Paul HowardArticles, Biodynamic, Blog, Italy, Organic, Sustainability, Toscana, Travel

Tenuta di Ghizzano

Tenuta di Ghizzano and a double anniversary The Tenuta di Ghizzano occupies the gently contoured low hills of the Colline Pisane, southwest of Pisa, less than an hour away. Here, there’s plenty of wine grown in coastal Tuscany, yet they are often obscurities. Twenty-six generations of the Venerosi Pesciolini family have owned this 350-hectare estate since 1370. Today it’s in the …

Le Mortelle, a rising star in the Maremma

Paul HowardArticles, Blog, Italy, Organic, Toscana

Antinori Le Mortelle

Le Mortelle, a rising star in the Maremma Le Mortelle is one of Antinori’s more recent ventures, a new organic wine estate created in Tuscany’s coastal Maremma. Here’s a progress report on this rising star. The Antinori family has been in the wine business for over six hundred years, documenting this back to 1385, across 26 generations. Has anyone done …