Selvapiana was born in the Middle Ages as a watchtower and defense of the city of Florence to the north, along the valley of the river Sieve.
Transformed into a villa, during the Renaissance it was the summer residence of noble Florentine families and the bishops of Florence. It was purchased in 1826 by Michele Giuntini, a successful Florentine banker and ancestor of the current owner Francesco Giuntini, who led the company from 1957 to 1997. Having always understood the value of the Chianti Rufina area, with stubborn passion he has lavished great energy in its valorisation.
Francesco was among the first in Tuscany to produce wine from Sangiovese grapes alone and to link the company's flagship wine to a specific single vineyard: Bucerchiale. In 1979 he produced the first vintage of Chianti Rufina Riserva Vigneto Bucerchiale. In 1978, he was the first to place his trust in Franco Bernabei, an internationally renowned wine consultant, realizing his great abilities.
Today the property is managed by Silvia and Federico, children of Franco Masseti, farmer in Selvapiana from 1953 to 1990. Silvia and Federico were adopted by Francesco in 1994 to give continuity to their work.
Selvapiana currently has an extension of about 250 hectares of which 58 hectares of vineyards, 36 hectares of olive groves and 140 of woods. The land owned is spread over three municipalities, Rufina, Pelago and Pontassieve.
The hills of Chianti Rufina are located on the slopes of the last foothills of the Apennines. The proximity to the latter profoundly influences the microclimate of the area with cooler summers and a significant difference in temperature between day and night. For this reason the grapes can ripen slowly and manage to achieve a good balance of all the aromatic components of the berry. The wines have good acidity, elegance, silky tannins and a long finish.
Most of the vineyards are around the Villa which also has the function of the company centre. The vineyards bear the names of the old sharecropping farms: Vigneto Bucerchiale, Vigneto Fornace, Vigneto Casanova, Vigneto Pesalova, Vigneto Al Pino. Recently acquired are the San Martino vineyard in Quona-Erchi in the municipality of Pontassieve, the Cerlognole vineyard in the municipality of Rufina, the Pian dè Marroni vineyard also in the municipality of Rufina. Selvapiana is a certified organic farm; initially, in 1990, only the Fornace vineyard was conducted according to the organic cultivation method to which all the vineyards and olive groves were added. Mainly planted with the Frantoio variety, there are about 9,000 olive trees that make up a fantastic heritage and are divided into four zones. Olive grove Podere San Giuseppe and Olive grove Rignella in the municipality of Pelago, Olive grove Casanova in the municipality of Rufina, Olive grove San Martino-Erchi in the municipality of Pontassieve. The new vinification cellar inaugurated with the 2005 harvest allows the grapes to be transformed with the utmost care and naturalness. The vinification takes place in steel tanks and partly in cement tanks recovered from the old cellar. Fermentation (which has taken place without the use of selected yeasts since 1992 and with much lower sulfur additions than in the past) and maceration last for at least 30 days. Aging in wood partly in the historic cellar in the basement of the Villa and partly in the new barrique cellar. Selvapiana preserves all the vintages of Riserva and Riserva Vigneto Bucerchiale produced starting from the 1948 vintage. In addition to being an exciting and fascinating event, a vertical tasting also means retracing the history of Selvapiana and Chianti Rufina. The 1950s and 1960s. These were still the years of sharecropping, the vines, some of which were planted with live stakes, were very old. The harvest always began after 10 October; The grapes were vinified in open chestnut vats and concrete tanks. The wines were aged for five to six years in old chestnut barrels. The 1970s. The end of sharecropping imposed drastic changes in the conduct of the Chianti countryside. The first specialized vineyards, the discovery of chemistry, both to fertilize and to defend the harvest and a deep crisis in the countryside also coincides with some difficult harvests. The harvests of the second half of the seventies show the qualitative rebirth. The 80s. Wines consolidate the desire to produce well and with attention to Sangiovese. In Selvapiana the so-called ameliorative varieties, so fashionable in recent years in Chianti, are not used.THE VINEYARDS.
THE OLIVE GROVES.
The Casanova and Rignella olive groves were planted after the 1985 frost with a density of 550 trees per hectare.THE CELLAR.
HISTORICAL VINTAGES.
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Prager’s stylistic signature is that of aromatic complexity coupled with power and tension. High- density planting and long hang times ensure ripe fruit flavors and concentration, yet allowing leaves to shade the fruit lend vibrant aromatics of grasses, herbs, and wildflowers. Minerality is a constant feature of any Prager wine.
Review:
This is a cool, brilliant and mineral riesling with so much wet stone character alongside lime peel, white grapefruit and small white flowers on the nose. Coriander leaf and root. Sharp and exciting, medium-bodied, precise and full of mountain freshness.
-James Suckling 97 Points
In 1992 the Hill-Smith family counted themselves amongst those fortunate enough to own a vineyard upon the famous Coonawarra terra rossa soil over limestone. Experimentation, innovation, minimalist intervention and small batch winemaking has resulted in The Menzies’ reputation as a wine of longevity, elegance and structure.
Situated in the heart of Coonawarra’s terra rossa strip, The Menzies Estate vineyard lies on a flat plain, approximately 70km from the coast. Given the terrain and influence of the cooling Bonney upwelling, Coonawarra is an ideal location to grow premium Cabernet Sauvignon. Our soil is red sandy loam over limestone, which is classic Cabernet Sauvignon country. The grapes for The Menzies 2017 are from vines planted in 1994 and 1996. Bunches are usually small with small berries, giving concentration via an ideal skin to juice ratio favouring the making of fullbodied reds.
Experimentation, innovation, minimalist intervention, and small batch winemaking has resulted in The Menzies' reputation as a wine of longevity, elegance, and structure.
Aromas of fresh rosemary, mulberry, violets and exotic spices. Take a sip and you will feel the poise and tension for which great Cabernet is renowned. A wine of great complexity with flavors of blackcurrant, bitter chocolate, and mulberries, wrapped in divine tannins and a lovely sweet, dark fruit finish. With decanting in its youth, it is enjoyable as an elegant full-bodied red wine.
Review:
The 2017 The Menzies Cabernet Sauvignon is looking good next to the 2016 tasted beside it. It is fresh and vibrant, with layers of complexing dark earth characters, with cigar box, black olive brine, cassis, bramble, milk chocolate and cracked black pepper. This is very good, and it has what I am coming to recognize as a "Yalumba red character": dried herbs, particularly oregano. The juicy splay of fruit through the finish is a highlight.
-Wine Advocate 95 Points