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The Tuscan Coast is that strip of land that was so beloved by the Etruscans, where the salty breezes from the Tyrrhenian Sea blow through the rich vegetation of pine, cypress and oak trees, creating a natural habitat for the production of great wines. Here, in the valley of the River Cecina and within the Etruscan site of Belora (7^th century B.C.) lies the winery of Podere La Regola, the first winemaking estate to believe in the potential of the terroir of Riparbella and obtain outstanding results from it, beginning in the 1990s. 

Following on from the many successes obtained with its wines, and in particular with its cru “La Regola” I.G.T. Costa Toscana Rosso, made from 100% Cabernet Franc, the estate is now ready to announce the launch of a fine new white wine, which will position itself at the very top of the range of whites from this Coast: “La Regola” Costa Toscana Bianco I.G.T. 2021, a blend of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, with a production of around 3,000 bottles.

«We had immediately noted the distinctive characteristics and the quality of these two grape varieties when grown in our fossil-bearing soils alongside the River Cecina, composed of sands from the Pliocene epoch, clay, and loam», Flavio Nuti, director of the company and owner together with his brother Luca Nuti, tells us. «So, in the early 2000s, we began a project to create a great white wine, which was of similar quality and structure to that of our reds. The blend of Chardonnay with Sauvignon Blanc revealed itself to be the most suitable mix for obtaining a long-lived wine, with good aromatic complexity; it brings out the characteristics of acidity and tanginess that are due to the particular character of the soil and the constant thermal excursions in the Cecina Valley. We wanted to make a white wine that was even more “iconic” than our “Lauro”, which is produced from Viognier and Chardonnay grapes and is already well-known for its quality by both wine critics and the market». 

In the winery, after painstaking manual selection of the grapes and soft pressing, the musts of the two varieties undergo separate alcoholic fermentations, both in amphoras and in special French oak barriques (new or used once before). Maturation continues on the fine lees in the same containers, with frequent bâtonnage, but without carrying out malolactic fermentation, so as to preserve a fresh, crisp style. In all, its maturation lasts 8-10 months, at the end of which – after final blending in stainless steel tanks – the wine rests in bottle for at least 12 months before release. 

The 2021 vintage will be presented at Vinitaly and will go on sale from April 2024 onwards. 

The wine displays a brilliant, dense golden yellow color, but with an elegance that is perceptible even on the nose, where one finds fragrances of white flowers that then give way to more marked sensations of tropical fruit. On the palate, one perceives an attractive freshness, with an evident tangy note that lingers on in the very persistent aftertaste. 

La Regola Bianco I.G.T. 2021 is a wine that expresses to the full the wine-producing vocation of this coastal area in the hills of Riparbella. Added value is also provided in the estate’s use of organic farming methods and its environmental sustainability, without overlooking the cultural aspect, whereby the wine becomes art and the latter – in turn – becomes an integral part of the winery. 

Emblematic of this message is La Regola’s barrel cellar: 46 meters of painting in which the consummate artist Stefano Tonelli has expressed the “dream of wine” and its “gestation”, a splendid work that every year attracts art enthusiasts from all over the world. Moreover, the winery building, designed by architect Sergio Scienza, is totally environment-friendly, as it is powered by solar energy and perfectly integrated in the surrounding countryside. 

Podere La Regola has also published a volume of recipes and wines, “La Regola degli Chef”, involving Tuscany’s top chefs, and it has promoted a literary competition, “La Regola della Letteratura”, with more than 60 entries from all over Italy. It has also drawn lovers of wine and science with the “Human Pleasure” project, in which listening to instruments played through High Fidelity equipment was combined with a tasting of its wines. 

Terroir, nature and humanity: these are the principles that – for five generations now – have always formed the basis for the production philosophy of La Regola.