We can't ignore what is going on in Europe and the rest of the world right now. After four weeks in lockdown, how are you and your team coping? Can you still work in the vineyards?
The rhythm of life in the countryside has always been slower compared to the cities, so we are quite used to living a bit far from the modern rush, even if we are worried and we read and follow the news. Mother Nature keeps rolling and we follow the cycle of vineyards with precautions and care of our people: we just finished the pruning and today we had a snow storm that nicely covered our vineyards before Spring arrives.
Do you have any advice for those of us just starting quarantine?
Well, after 15 days of quarantine we have seen that the most important thing is to feed our souls with good food and good wine! We Italians are spending time slow cooking old “grandma” recipes and baking cakes and of course drinking fantastic wines.
What are the latest updates at the Aurora winery?
All the refurbishments of the historical building are in standby because of the lockdown but the winery is active. We are currently blending our 2018 Testamatta and Colore, released in September 2020.
Italian fine wine has been going through the most amazing renaissance, certainly helped by some fantastic vintages. In your opinion, what have been the key reasons behind the rise in quality?
Italy is a beautiful country that has one the highest number of indigenous varieties in the world which gives us an amazing rainbow of different beautiful wine expressions. If you blend this with the “passion” for what Italians are very well known for, the result will be an amazing and fascinating wine scene that’s seducing more and more wine lovers. On top of this we have been blessed with three top vintages in the last four, 2015 and 2016 are probably within the best I have ever made, the purity of the grapes results in a perfect balance between elegance and structure. And then the magical 2018, I still remember the beauty of the vineyards and my decision to let the vines grows without any human interaction. The result today is wine with incredible perfumes and freshness, rich of finesse and fruit that definitely position this vintage amongst the greatest I've made.
Fermenting the wines in barrel is a key element to Testamatta and Colore. What does this method bring to the wine?
The first reason why I came across this vinification method is because of my vineyards: I’m totally in love with old vines and today I have the biggest collection of rare and beautiful vineyards in Tuscany. Working with such old vineyards means you have to think out of the box, each single vine is followed individually and the harvest proceed plant to plant, parcel to parcel filling one barrel after the other. The result is amazing, from one vineyard of Sangiovese we can obtain multiple expression of Sangiovese, one for each barrel and each one with different nuances and shades. So when at the end of the aging we start blending these barrels, the magic happens, you can imagine the complexity and the layers of the wines!
What vintages are you enjoying to drink right now?
2016 vintage has been austere and full of richness since the vinification, now after almost 4 years from the harvest it is my favourite wine glass to enjoy what Sangiovese, Canaiolo and Colorino can do in Tuscany. Every time I open a bottle I’m impressed!
What other wines are you enjoying in your confinement?
During our steady lockdown we can’t move and shop, so I’m forced to dig into my private cellar and open some very old bottles of Colore and Testamatta. I also found a couple of old cases of 20 year old Champagne which found its way to our table but also enjoy our Bollamatta “crazy-bubble” Sangiovese sparkling, very fun and full of joy!
What is your favorite song that you are listening to at the moment?
Music is always on in the kitchen and it goes from the Abba to Queen, passing through jazz and blues.
