Podere San Cristoforo in Maremma – Tuscany comes out with this world first, maturing 100% Petit Verdot in an amphora for 9 months on the seabed of the Mediterranean Sea. The wine itself obtained very good quotations (92-93) in recent years. After a 4-year study and several practical tests, their dream became reality. Only 600 numbered, handmade pieces are available worldwide!
The Italian wine estate ‘Podere San Cristoforo‘ is characterised by the constant presence of breezes blowing in from the sea, which keep the grapes healthy and moderate the high summer temperatures. This wind is therefore a fundamental factor in the optimal ripening of the grapes and the full development of their aromatic substances. The soil is also of vital importance. It is made up of medium-textured eolian deposits from the foliation of the mineral hills of Gavorrano, giving a stony terrain with a high clay content.
The estate extends over 45 hectares (110 acres), of which 15 hectares (37 acres) are planted with vines, 2 hectares (5 acres) with olive trees and 20 hectares (50 acres) with cereals and sunflowers. The grape varieties are Sangiovese (10 acres), Petit Verdot (2 acres), Syrah (1 acre), Vermentino and Trebbiano (2 acres).
At Podere San Cristoforo they consider it important to seek the best agronomic practices to guarantee grapes of the highest quality. The biodynamic method offers very simple tools that have long been used in agriculture to make the soil more fertile and to make the vine more resistant. The biodynamic approach uses organic compost that increases soil life through the development of micro-organisms that supply new elements to the vine. The air, like the earth, is a system from which the plant feeds itself. The biodynamic method considers not only sunlight, but also gravity and magnetic forces to be fundamental, since these energies influence all living organisms, and in particular the development and life cycle of vegetables. In the fight against diseases in the vineyard, the biodynamic method uses a preventive approach that balances the whole ecosystem in order to strengthen the natural defence system of the vine.
Interested in history
Lorenzo Zonin, the owner of Podere San Cristoforo in Maremma , has an enormous interest in history. This passion led him to the idea of sinking 600 hand-made amphorae in the waters of the Mediterranean. The use of a real amphora to allow the wine to mature under water is the exclusive privilege of the S’Amfora method, which is why it was awarded the certificate of authenticity.
The fascination of this idea is linked both to the importance of wine to the old peoples of the Mediterranean and to the many finds of wine amphorae, first on land and later at sea. With one big difference: while the first ones, those found on the surface of the earth, had dried up over the centuries, those found in the sea or in lakes had retained their content. It took four years of study and practical trials as well as courage and determination to make wine in such a different and yet historically so familiar way.
The wine is a pure Petit Verdot, which comes in a handmade clay amphora of 750 ml and is personalised with the seal of the S’Amfora method, just as it would have been in Roman and Phoenician times. The Petit Verdot grapes are a rare variety with an important structure. They are harvested on the gravelly soils of Podere San Cristoforo, destemmed and deposited in vats by gravity where they ferment thanks to indigenous yeasts. The wine is then placed in French oak barrels for a few months to obtain an ideal refinement of tannins. At this point, the wine is ready to be transferred to handmade terracotta amphorae. This is done with great precision to avoid oxidation. The amphorae are corked and finished with wax and an authenticity seal before they are placed in the dipping baskets. The amphorae remain at a depth of about 15 metres for 9 months, in the dark and at an average temperature of 14 degrees Celsius. Here it ripens, just as it would have done in Greco-Italian times. Thus, it gets more ripe notes than it would get in conventional aging, and develops a light mineral and earthy note typical of terracotta aging.
This superb collector’s item is now only available from Winespot, for a price of 200 euros including VAT. Be quick, reserve your copy now and don’t let this unique opportunity pass you by!
Reservation can be made via the following e-mail address: info@winespot.be
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