{"id":3360,"date":"2019-09-23T14:38:40","date_gmt":"2019-09-23T13:38:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/genuinewines.com\/en\/?p=3360"},"modified":"2021-03-25T17:31:05","modified_gmt":"2021-03-25T16:31:05","slug":"visiting-fattoria-selvapiana-2019-chianti-rufina-tuscany","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/genuinewines.com\/en\/blog\/visiting-fattoria-selvapiana-2019-chianti-rufina-tuscany\/","title":{"rendered":"Visiting Fattoria Selvapiana : 2019, Chianti Rufina, Tuscany"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Selvapiana vineyards with Appenines mountains in the distance<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

19 August, 2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rufina, Tuscany<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s a beautiful time to visit Fattoria Selvapiana in August.  Vintage will be starting in a few weeks, the hot days are cooled by the evening’s fresh temperatures, and it is the middle of tomato-season.  Yum!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I’m greeted by two energetic Maremma Shepherds – Arno & Yumi – residents of the Selvapiana household and the unofficial welcoming committee.  The Fattoria has started to develop their wine-tourism program and hosts visitors every day of the week that are passing through Florence, or staying at local Agri-turismos.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everyone is more than welcome to visit and taste the wines, meet the family, and enjoy the famous Selvapiana Olive Oil<\/a>.  Just be aware that the winery is rather discreetly located and the tastings are hosted by the family, so a few more knocks at the door and rings of the bell might required should they be deep in the medieval cellar! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo 1 : February 1st – a Maremma Shepherd puppy’s first snow at Selvapiana
Photo 2 : Same view in mid-August, the dogs are tired from the Summer heat<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vintage 2019 : Snow & Frost<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

December and January were rather cold and dry this year.  As winters have been increasingly warmer over the past few years, Selvapiana hasn’t had that much snow.  But much to the delight of Yumi, starting February 1st this year, the Estate had a real snowfall and a “normal” winter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mid-April was bud-break, however things got complicated in early May with very unseasonal snowfall and temperatures hovered at 0\u00b0C on the thermometer.  Over two nights – May 6th and May 7th – they were out in the vines lighting fires to keep the buds warm.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After first altering the local forest rangers to keep the public informed, piles of dried leaves were lit.  Fortunately the temperature did not dip much below zero, and there was nearly no damage or loss.  But a stressful wake-up call! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo 1 : May 5th – photo from the highway to Bologna<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Photo 2 : Hay fires lit May 6 & May 7th<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Vintage 2019 : Rain & Heat<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rest of May was very rainy, and the team had to do lots of treatments to protect the vines.  Due to new EU regulations reducing copper applications this year, other substitute products were tested.  If the mildew was already set, orange peel oil was applied after to dry it out.  Algae treatments helped to strengthen the vine. Propolis from bees was the most effective substitute.  However this was MUCH more expensive.  Copper is a very budget-friendly treatment that Federico assures doesn’t harm his soils – he has paid for the tests and soil analysis to prove it!

In contrast to May, June was very warm \u2013 one of the warmest June\u2019s since records were taken in Tuscany.  July had normal, stable temperatures and not much rain in Rufina.  Elsewhere in Italy, the months of June through August had many episodes of hail.  The last weekend of July Selvapiana was worried \u2013 big storms were predicted, and huge storms passed over Arezzo.  In Rufina, luckily it was just rain, but a lot! In just a few hours 32mm of rain poured down that just rolled off the soils.  Now, when it rains, it doesn\u2019t just pour, it floods.

At a hilly 300m, is there a fear of soil erosion?  According to Federico not really because most vineyards have cover crops that strengthen them.  They are ploughed after harvest to aerate the clay soil, then every other row is seeded in winter with a cereal mix that depends on what nutrients the soils need.  Fava beans, etc. These crops grow until March\/April.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The start of August has been dry and nights have been cold with some humidity in the morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When is vintage?  Still too soon to say for Federico \u2013 it may be a few weeks from now, maybe more, but definitely not in August, and if we are lucky, second week of September for the Sangiovese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo 1 : Crop covers planted every other row<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Photo 2 : All looks great right now, but Federico is cautious of the weather forecast<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Fighting Pests & Disease : ESCA & Tignola<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Federico’s vines have been cultivated organically since the early 1990’s, and he is no stranger to invasions of different diseases and pests in the vines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fences have been built to prevent cinghiale from eating the crop cover seeds in the fall and winter, and the grapes during Harvest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organic Sprays have been applied to prevent the larvae from harvest moths – tignola – from making homes on the grape berries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New pruning techniques have to be adopted in an effort to prevent the spread of ESCA in the vines.  This grapevine trunk disease is still prevalent in the vines, and spreads at random.  One of the strategies is to use different snips to prune the ESCA-affected branches, from the snips used to prune the healthy branches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Federico has also begun replanting some of the plots where the old-vines are no longer as healthy.  Last year, 2 HA of Bucerchiale were replanted and have since been thriving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo 1 : Damage from Esca<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Photo 2 : Beautiful Sangiovese bunches not yet ripe<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Giving Back – Investing in the Rufina community<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since 1827, the Giuntini family have been making their home in Rufina, which now extends to the 6th generation with Federico’s four children.  In the little country village of Pontassieve, the primary school – Scuola Giuntini<\/a> – bears the Giuntini name, as the family funded the construction over 125 years ago in 1885.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the drive to dinner, my eye spots the former Selvapiana shop on the main road.  Currently closed for business, I inquired with Federico about its potential for the future.  Very humbly, he explains the project.  One of his sons currently studies social work in university, and has proposed converting the building into a boutique and restaurant, but staffed by local employees that suffer from mental health issues, such as autism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo 1 : Selvapiana Cellar Door<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Photo 2 : Future Project – Renovating the ancient Selvapiana boutique<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Vintage Selvapiana<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One of the treasures at Selvapiana is their deep cave of back-vintages.  Depending on your birth year, Federico usually has a bottle that he will generously open for tasting!  Currently available for sale are vintages of Chianti Rufina Riserva: 1969, 1970, 1973, 1977, 1980<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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And for the Bucerchiale <\/strong>fan, in smaller quantities vintages:<\/p>\n\n\n\n