Canaiolo

Blend: 100% Canaiolo Fermentation: From red-stemmed Canaiolo grapes with the aromas of white grapes and the richness of red grapes. A free-run must that ferments slowly, and is bottled as soon as the sugars have fermented, to maintain its freshness. Food-Wine Pairings: The perfect aperitif, if possible in a Champagne flute. A delicately colored rosé with floral aromas, full soft flavors, and a savory finish. Located on the hill of Montenidoli, the “mountain of little nests”, just across a small valley from the town of San Gimignano. The estate was founded in 1965 by Elisabetta Fagiuoli and her husband Sergio, with vineyards planted amidst the hill’s forests, the branches of which are filled with swallow and jaybird nests. Of the 900 acres that the couple own, only about 50 of them are under cultivation, with the rest preserved as a de facto nature reserve. At the time they purchased the property, there were already vines in place, most of which were planted in the 19th Century and all of which were overgrown. After expanding the original vineyards (and replanting the majority), the vines are now all over 50 years old. These unique vineyards are planted to Tuscany’s classic Quaternary calcaire terroir and the incredibly rare red Triassic sandstone and limestone (which is more often found in France and Germany). Organic from the beginning, the vineyards (as well as the estate’s olives and other farmland) have never seen chemical intervention beyond the sparing and rare use of the basic sulfur and copper compounds. Working from the start as viticulturalist and winemaker, Elisabetta has built the estate’s reputation over the years, producing singular whites from Vernaccia, Trebbiano Gentile, and Malvasia; and reds from Sangiovese, Canaiolo, and Colorino.