TERRAZZE, a new in interpretation of Tuscany from Beconcini

 

Terrazze is the name of the new red from Pietro Beconcini, made from 9 indigenous grape varieties vinified in the same vat, the aim of which is to be a highly attractive wine with a limited alcohol content and extremely fine, evident yet silky tannins. 

It is a modern wine, with only 12.5% alcohol by volume and very restrained tannins, which make it suitable for being served and drunk even at a slightly lower temperature than is normal for red wines, thus making it extremely enjoyable even in the hottest months of the year. It is notable for its balsamic characteristics, with a taste profile that veers strongly towards mentholated sensations; the result is a fresh, light but highly appealing wine, the product of the maximum concerted expression of 9 types of grapes that are macerated and fermented together. 

Malvasia Nera, Canaiolo, Colorino, Trebbiano Nero, Ciliegiolo, Gran Noir, Tempranillo, Buonamico and Sanforte: these are the 9 grape varieties, rediscovered in the estate’s oldest vineyards, which are vinified in the same vat. The process begins with the Malvasia Nera, the cultivar that is the first to ripen, and then gradually – at the right moment of ripeness – each of the other varieties is added. When the wine is drawn off, the blend is already complete. 

«We purchased this piece of land in the hills 9 years ago,» explain Leonardo Beconcini and Eva Bellagamba, the owners of the estate. «It was almost all covered in woodland; we cleared it to restore the vines to their previous vegetative vigor. During this operation we were delighted to discover some ancient walls that formed the terraces for the cultivation of the vines: an incredible historic heritage that we decided to maintain, both from an architectural point of view (by us too subdividing the vineyards into terraces) and from the point of view of actual preparation for cultivation. We in fact replanted the same types of grapes of which we found traces on the land». 

This rather unconventional story for Tuscany, with regard to the grape varieties being grown and the viticultural techniques used, can be attributed to Giovanbattista Landeschi. At San Miniato, in the 1700s, this priest and agronomist decided to devote himself to some extremely interesting agricultural projects. Apart from having planted here Tempranillo vines, brought by passing Spanish pilgrims and which today constitute the pride of the estate in its Ixe and Vigna alle Nicchie wines, Giovanbattista was the precursor of this cultivation technique on terraces. All the local hillsides were in fact cultivated with this system (illustrated also on the wine’s label) that allowed one to achieve a hydraulic/agricultural objective: a model for managing the land that allowed one to regulate the capacity of the watercourses and protect the slopes of the hills and mountains from erosion, the loss of soil, and hydrogeological risk.

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