Estates & Cellars
The properties of Tenute extend for an area of about 1000 ha in the municipalities of Arezzo, Civitella in Val di Chiana and Castiglion Fibocchi. Such properties have come to Fraternita dei Laici, sole member of the Estates, through two important bequests: one from Cav. Giuseppe Ninci and the other from Count Giovan Battista Occhini. Since the past centuries, the lands of Tenute have been cultivated keeping a vital environment very suitable for the cultivation of vines and olives. The traditional cultivation of the land is now carried out with passion and dedication by the company’s staff. The lowland lands intended for arable crops and orchard, extend in the stretch that goes from the beginning of the Valdichiana to the Valdarno Valleys, passing through the plain of Arezzo. The hilly areas of Civitella in Val di Chiana and Castiglion Fibocchi are the ideal environment for vineyards and olive groves.
The Vineyards
The vineyards extend over a hilly area of about 46 hectares, all falling within the Chianti Docg area in the Municipalities of Civitella in Val di Chiana and Castiglion Fibocchi. The plants between 3 and 40 years old are cultivated according to the Tuscan tradition: the short pruning, the thinning of the shoots, the early stripping and the thinning of the bunches are all practices carried out to obtain the best quality of the grapes. The planting densities foresee 4000/5000 vines per hectare. The most common training system is the spurred cordon, followed by the guyot. Organic management begins in 2014, initially on some vineyards. Subsequently, the whole vineyard area started to convert to organic agricolture. As it is Tuscan tradition, the most common grape is Sangiovese; the other varieties are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Petit Verdot, Canaiolo, Colorino, Trebbiano Toscano, Malvasia Bianca, Grechetto, Vermentino and Chardonnay. The harvest of the grapes, in order to obtain the best quality of the product, is carried out by hand when perfectly ripe. The fermentations are all spontaneous with indigenous yeasts: we do not add selected yeasts or enzymes in any type in fermentation. This allows the wine to naturally develop scents and aromas that would otherwise not be there. With the knowledge we have today we are retracing all the old steps of the peasant tradition in order to get the best out of what nature kindly gives us.
The Olive Groves
In the olive groves that extend for about 22 hectares in the hills of Civitella in Val di Chiana and Castiglion Fibocchi there are about 6000 plants. For over 10 years the plants between 20 and 100 years old have been tended according to the organic farming. They are located in specialized crops distributed in the typical terraces of the Tuscan hills. The varieties of olive trees grown are Moraiolo, Frantoio, Leccino and Raggiola. To safeguard the production from pathogens many interventions are carried out with rock dust (Kaolin), guaranteeing a perfectly healthy product. Harvest is carried out early, already from the first ten days of October, and it is done by hand or with small facilitators. The harvested olives are brought daily to the mill for milling which is carried out with modern systems, at low temperatures in order to guarantee the best quality of the olive oil with a high content of polyphenols. The organic olive oil obtained, with its remarkable organoleptic qualities, can be certified as Tuscan I.G.P. Olive Oil.
The Apple Trees And Other Crops
In the company there is an area of about 4 hectares of orchard located in Arezzo plain and in the hills of Castiglion Fibocchi. Apple trees are grown according to the Integrated Agriculture technique, also using techniques of sexual confusion (of Japanese origin) for the control of phytophagous (plant insects). The prevailing apple variety is the Deliziosa, then the Stayman, the Imperatore and the Golden. During the harvest period in the months of August, September and October, apple are sold fresh on the farm. Part of the production is supplied to the canteens of primary schools in Arezzo and part is transformed into juice and dried apples. Cereals (soft wheat, durum wheat and barley) are cultivated in the plains. For some years we have also been cultivating the Ancient Grains (Verna and Senatore Cappelli) with which we produce flour, pasta and beer. The company cooperates with scientific organizations, including the University of Florence, in order to experiment with old varieties of cereals. A part of the plain area is planted with Sunflower, where bees are brought during the flowering to collect honey. The wooded area is also very extensive on the farm, over 500 hectares, where bees are brought during the flowering to collect the different varieties of honey.
THE CELLARS
In the company there are several production facilities. The modern cellar where the controlled temperature vinification takes place has a capacity of about 3600 hectoliters. It is made all in steel and it is powered by a photovoltaic system for the management of all operations. The vinification takes place spontaneously thanks to indigenous yeasts, without the addition of enzymes, maintaining the maximum temperature at 26 degrees centigrade for red wines. In the aging cellar we find the oak barriques, the kegs and the wooden barrels: in these containers red, white and sweet wines age. This cellar is located near the company Wine Shop. The Palazzina cellar is located in a 1900s building and it is used for the storage of wine in concrete containers. The Acetaia building, conveniently located far from the other cellars, is the place where the Chianti wine is slowly acetified in oak barriques to obtain a vinegar typical of the Tuscan tradition. For specialist advice, the company relies on the important collaboration of the Enologist Fabrizio Ciufoli who, with passion and competence and respecting tradition, enables the production of quality wines.
