Tenuta di Gracciano Della Seta
background
Giorgio della Seta was born in Florence. His work for an important Italian multinational company took him and his family to live in abroad for many years: Mexico, Belgium, the United States, Iran and Brazil. When Giorgio decided to return to Tuscany, he took control of the family estate and began to manage all facets of the wine production and marketing. He proceeded to renew the vineyards and in 2013 built a new winery alongside the original cellar which is still used for barrel aging today.
The Gracciano Estate is one of the oldest wineries in the Montepulciano region. The original winery is, in fact, mentioned as the winner of first prize at the International Fair of Turin in 1864 with production beginning early in the 19th century.
THE TERROIR
The Valdichiana, with its alluvial soil, covers a territory that extends over 23 municipalities on the border between Tuscany and Umbria. Situated between the provinces of Arezzo and Siena in Tuscany and those of Perugia and Terni in Umbria, it lays half-way between Florence and Rome.
A landscape of rolling hills, pine and oak forests alternating with small villages, steeped in Renaissance history and art: a place suspended in time, with colors and perfumes that enchant the visitor. The vineyards planted on this rich and fertile soil produce some of the best Italian wines. The small medieval hamlets reflect the colors of the earth and transport us into a world of sensations, tastes, smells, culture and tradition that seems to hover between fairy tale and reality. Today, the estate covers roughly 70 hectares of which 20 are vineyards. The vines grow on the clay and silty soil of the Gracciano hills, one of the oldest and most prestigious crus of Montepulciano. The cellars of the Gracciano Villa still contain several bottles of wine from exceptional vintage years dating back to the late 1940s.
The wine
The main objective at Gracciano is to produce wine that deeply respects all the characteristics of both the territory and the Prugnolo Gentile varietal. The goal is always to create an elegant and traditional wine, placing particular emphasis on the selection of the wooden casks used for ageing alongside a small number of 5hl tonneaux. The result is a wine with a long history and tradition passed down from generation to generation, a well-defined style and a generous terroir. Starting from the 2018 harvest Gracciano will be ORGANIC certified.
Rosso di Montepulciano DOC
Vineyard Sites: Casale, Maramai
Exposure: S, SE, SW
Altitude: 300-350 m.a.s.l.
Soil type: Silty-clay
Age of vines (year of planting): 1970, 1993, 1997, 2001
Planting density: 3,300 (old) 4,500-5,000 (new) vines/ha
Varieties: Prugnolo Gentile 90%, Merlot 10%
Growing system: Guyot and spur pruning
Yield: 40 hl/ha
Wine making process: Fermentation and maceration on the skins in stainless steel vats at controlled temperature
(28° C) with local yeasts for about 15 days and daily pumping over
Production: 30,000 bottles
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
Vineyard sites: Rovisci, Maramai, Toraia
Exposure: S, SE, SW
Altitude: 300-350 m.a.s.l.
Soil type: Silty-clay
Age of vines (year of planting): 1970, 1993, 1997, 1999
Planting density: 3,300 (old) 4,500-5.000 (new) vines/ha
Varieties: Prugnolo Gentile 90%, Merlot 10%
Growing system: Guyot and spur pruning
Harvesting period: First 2 weeks of October
Harvesting: Hand
Yield: 40 hl/ha
Wine making process: Fermentation and maceration on the skins in stainless steel vats at controlled temperature
(28° C) with local yeasts for about 20-25 days and daily pumping over
Ageing: 18 months in 3,5 and 5hl French oak tonneaux (first, second and third passage) (40%) and in 25hl French and Slavonian oak casks (60%)
Production: 40,000 bottles
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva
Vineyard Sites: Maramai, Podere Rovisci
Exposure: S, SE, SW
Altitude: 300-350 m.a.s.l.
Soil type: Silty-clay
Age of vines (year of planting): 1970, 1993
Varieties: Prugnolo Gentile 90%, Merlot 10%
Growing system: Guyot and spur pruning
Yield: 30 hl/ha
Wine making process: Fermentation and maceration on the skins in stainless steel vats at controlled temperature
(28° C) with local yeasts for about 20-25 days and daily pumping over
Ageing: 24 months; the first 12 months in 3,5 and 5 hl French oak tonneaux and the remaining months in 25 hl Slavonian oak casks
Refinement in bottle: At least 6 months
Production: 6,600 bottles