Fattoria Selvapiana is an organic estate in Località Selvapiana in Rùfina, a commune in the Metropolitan City of Florence in the Italian region of Tuscany, about 12miles (20 km) east of Florence and just north of the town of Pontassieve. Selvapiana produces Chianti Rufinà DOCG red wines and under Francesco Giuntini Selvapiana was among the first Tuscan producers to make a Riserva wine from 100% Sangiovese. The estate’s other wines are Pomino DOC and Vin Santo del Chianti Rùfina DOC.

History: Selvapiana has been owned by the Giuntini family since 1827 when it was bought by Michele Giuntini. His descendent is Francesco Giuntini Antinori. In the 1950s Francesco Giuntini and  Franco Giuntini, father of Federico Giuntini, planted the vines here. They started to bottle the wines. In the 1970s they focused on Sangiovese. Today it is run by fifth generation Francesco Giuntini Antinori’s adopted son Federico Giuntini-Masseti (35 harvests in 20219, who works with his (also adopted) sister Silvia Giuntini A Masseti. 

Federico Giuntini-Masseti (who speaks English) began working here in late 1987 after effectively dropping out of agronomy study in Florence. He slowly introduced organic methods. His wife wife studied political science. They have one son. Federico told me that ‘in the 1950s when the mezzadria system of landholding ended Francesco Giuntini and my father Franco planted the first specialized vineyard. They started to bottle the wine and later in the 1970s they started to work mostly on 100% Sangiovese for the single vineyard riserva, with massale selection vines. All these factors brought the estate into the modern era.’

Vineyards: The estate covers 245 hectares, 60 of which are vines (95% being Sangiovese), 36 are olive groves, and the rest is covered by woods. For the most part, the vineyards face west/north west, though Selvapiana’s

Selvapiana’s prized Bucerchiale vineyard is south-west facing. The oldest part of the Bucerchiale vineyard was planted in 1968 and the youngest in 2001. The vineyard faces south/south-west and is situated at 150-200 metres above sea level.The soil is predominantly clay and limestone. The older vines planted in the late 1970s were planted at 2,500 per hectare, whereas the younger ones are planted at 5,200 vines per hectare.The vineyard is cultivated organically, with cover cropping. Cover crops from 2017 onwards–Winter cover is via broad beans, clover and Brassicas to open the soil. Mulching to which cools and protects.

The Bucerchiale vineyard’s Sangiovese vines get the late afternoon sun and give a generously proprtioned and noticably refreshing Rufina Riserva. ‘Federico considers the Vigneto Bucerchiale to be a more weighty and powerful Rufina, but it still displays the vibrancy of fruit that characterises the Selvapiana wines’, says David Gleave

The winery vineyard (27ha in 2005) is located on the eastern flank of the Sieve river, in the last lateral mountain range before the Appennines. Cool mountain air tempers summer heat. Federico Giuntini told me in May 2016 that ‘Selvapiana is still quite a large estate with 250 hectares of land of which 60ha are vineyards. Of the 60 hectares, 54 are cultivated with Sangiovese, and some of the Sangiovese is quite old.

The oldest part is the Bucerchiale vineyard planted in 1968. Bucerchiale is south-west facing, otherwise the Selvapiana vineyards are mainly west-facing. Our vineyards are around 150 to 200 metres (490 to 656 feet) above sea level. Apart from Bucerchiale all Selvapiana’s other vineyards have been replaced and replanted from 1987 onwards.’ Some of the budwood came from Isole e Olena, I think. Other land is given to forest, and olive trees (see below). Another vineyard called Erchi is located above the Cerreto Libri estate and comprised 15ha of land of which 1ha was vines and the rest was olives when Selvapiana bought it. They then added another 6ha of vines. | 2018 60ha producing 220,000 bottles (Gambero Rosso: 2018 p.671).

Soil: Federico Giuntini told me in May 2016 that ‘the soil is very diverse. There are two main geological metrics, the northern part of the estate is connected to the Masicho de la Penino, and the rest is connected to the Masicho de Chianti. Some of our land is very similar to the Chianti Classico soils. Clay, limestone, in the middle of the valley. Going up [the slopes] you find the galestro or schist soil. Where we have clay and limestone together the wines are much richer, fatter, more juicy. The wine on the galestro tends to be a little more tannic and a little more austere, but on both sides you have very elegant and fine wines.‘

Frost: ‘Since 1997 we learnt to try to prune as late as possible to delay budding,’ said Federico Giuntini of Fattoria Selvapiana in this conversation about frost damage with David Gleave MW.

Organic certification: Federico Giuntini-Masseti began working here in late 1988. From 1992 he introduced organic methods. ‘It took several years for the vines to get used to organics after herbicides and soluble fertilisers were eliminated. Yields did drop but became more consistent and grape quality was much healthier overall. The great enemy of the soil is chemical fertilizer and herbicide. When you take away these two, you have already done more than 70% for the soil and for the healthiness of everything,’ he told me in May 2016. He is looking to reduce his reliance on copper-based sprays (used to prevent downy mildew) from 6 to 4 kg Cu per year by using plant-based sprays made from sea algae or vegetable extract. | 2008 Federico Giuntini-Masseti told me in May 2016 that ‘the only year that we really saw a drop in production after going organic was 2008. That May was very, very rainy and humid so we lost some of the crop due to an early mildew attack, but it was the only year.’ Thanks to David Gleave MW for the following: 1992 They started practicing organics in 1992. | 2000 First vintage with full organic certification. | 2008 They stopped in 2008 because ‘it just made me better at filling in forms’ said Federico. | 2012 They were certified again in 2012, but have never put it on their labels. | 2021 Still certified organic (confirmed by the estate).

Winery: The historic cellar is two levels below the garden, and is the estate’s historical cellar. It is part of the medieval tower. In 2016 the library’s oldest vintage was the 1948. “Got rid of old oak. Need to buy more.” (Visit July 2021).

White wines

2020 Petit Manseng. 1,200 bottles. 14%. Nice oily, clear and with a mouthwatering tang. No oak. Sold here only (Visit July 2021).

Red wines

The Rufina wines age in 20-25hl oak casks.

Chianti Rufina DOCG, Selvapiana: There is around 4% of Canaiolo and Colorino in the Selvapiana Chianti (listen here). | 2002 85,000 bottles, compared to around 120-130,000 bottles normally. A bit hot but nice clean soft fresh fruit; and crisp acidity, decent (Visit 17th March 2005). |2013 Very fine. Pinot like with weight. 14%. Crunchy and stimulating. Has a Raison d’être (Visit July 2021). | 2014 13%. In 2016 Federico Giuntuni told me that during the tough conditions (rain) in 2015 his team ‘worked very hard in the vineyards, we did all the things that had to be done, that needed to be done. We dropped 80% of the Chianti Rufina Riserva into the Chianti Rufina normale. It’s one of the vintages that I’m really proud of.’ Aged in oak vats of 2,000, 2,500 and 5,000 litres. | 2016 Liberty Wines gave me this info for the 2016: 95% Sangiovese, 5% Canaiolo, Colorino and Malvasia Nera. Screwcap. Vegan suitable. 14% alc. The grapes are grown in the ancient Selvapiana estate which covers 56 hectares. For the most part, the vineyards face west/north west and are situated at an altitude of 150-200 metres above sea level. The soil is mostly clay and limestone. The older vines planted in the late 1970s, are planted at a density of 3,200 per hectare and 5,200 per hectare for the younger vines planted at the beginning of the 2000s. The average yield is 35-40 hectolitres per hectare. Alcohol (ABV): 14 %. Acidity: 4.95 g/l. Residual sugar: 0.21 g/l. pH: 3.64′, says David Gleave MW. | 2019 L180521. 13% alc. A bright, beautifully refreshing Rufina of light to light-medium hue and weight. Its undertow of mouth-watering juiciness is unstoppable and lifts the fruit. A great picnic wine, an effortless yet replete sipper (Sept 2021). 140K bottles .13%. 12m botti G and cement. Lovely crunch, very diff texture to Frascole. Really mouthwatering, finely weaved, expansive. He says: was 19 big temperature changes. New distemmer and bettter leaf work. Whole berries (Visit July 2021).

Chianti Rufina DOCG Riserva, Selvapiana: 1997 The last riserva to be produced by Selvapiana. From now on they will produce the single vineyard wines, Bucerchiale and Fornace, in appropriate years, while the rest of the riserva will be used to improve the normale.

Chianti Rufina DOCG Riserva, Bucerchiale: Single vineyard cru. ‘Federico considers the Vigneto Bucerchiale to be a more weighty and powerful Rufina, but it still displays the vibrancy of fruit that characterises the Selvapiana wines’, says David Gleave MW. | 1994 Bottled. 1995 Bottled. | 1998 Bottled.| 1999 Bottled. | 2000 Cedar; rich ripe fruit and elegant and good Sangiovese style too at the winery on Thursday 17th March 2005. | 2001 More obvious power and weight than 2000; fine grained tannin and rich fruit with lovely freshness too; intense but refined – really nice wines (Visit 17th March 2005). | 2007 15%. | 2009 Bottled. | 2010 Bottled. | 2011 Rich, savoury, dry with lots of weight, like the fruit, needs time (DWWA 2016). | 2012 14.5%. Aged in 225-litre French barrels, only a small percentage of which are new. | 2018 14% alc. L.28.04.21 A very clear and refreshing red with salty ripe red fruit, beautifully weighted for a light lunch or a hefty dinner (Nov 2021).

Chianti Rufina DOCG Riserva Vigneto Erchi: ‘The Vigneto Erchi’ comes from a six hectare, south-facing vineyard that Selvapiana purchased in 1998 and replanted in 1999. It is a beautiful site on the slightly warmer western side of the Rufina denomination, above Cerreto Libri. A selection of the best grapes is used to produce a single-vineyard wine with great power balanced by finesse’, says David Gleave MW. There was 15ha of land of which 1ha of vines and the res was olives. They planted 6ho of vines. ƒbuec| 2017 14.5% alc. Lot 140820. A wonderfully smooth and juicy red with mouthwatering soft fruit and excellent clarity and balance. After two days the remaining wine in my by then just under half-filled bottle was fresh and lively, with nicely compact tannins present but not over-bearing. Infanticide to drink it so young but it is a wine with a wide window of opportunity, such is the coherence of its underlying tannin structure and beautifully-expressed fruit (15 Oct 2021).

Chianti Rufina DOCG Riserva, Fornace: Now bottled as a Toscana Rosso, see below. | 1996 Bottled. | 1998 90% Sangiovese, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. | 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sangiovese.

Pomino Rosso DOC, Villa Petrognano: From 6ha of vines rented from Fattoria di Petrognano. | 2011 Bottled. | 2012 14% alc. | 2013 Bottled. | 2018 14% alc. A smooth, tangy, clear red with lithe tannins and clearly expressed deliciously soft red fruit (Oct 2021).

Toscana Rosso IGT, La Fornace: 1999 Bottled. | 2007 Bottled. | 2009 Bottled. | 2011 Bottled.

Vin Santo

Vin Santo del Chianti Rùfina DOC: Made from Trebbiano bunches which are tied in pairs and left to dry from September (harvest) to February the following year. The drying process is indoors, in a large room, in a former granary, with lots of windows to make the air-drying process as natural as possible. More than 70% of the weight of the cluster, of the berries, is lost. Then. once the grapes have shrivelled and become more concentrated and much sweeter-tasting they are pressed. They look like raisns. Very little juice is expressed, around 20% of what one would normally expect had the grapes been pressed immediately after harvest. The juice is then fermented. It is aged for seven years in a very small casks, called ‘caratelli’ in Tuscany. The casks are not filled completely. They are sealed with a cement bung and not touch again during the aging period. | 2002 50% Trebbiano and 50% Malvasia I think. 11 years in caratelli I think. Incredible wine, best vin santo I have had to date (Vinitaly 11 April 2016). | 2007 Bottled.

Olive oil: Federico Giuntini told me in May 2016 that the distinctive nature of the estate’s extra virgin olive oil, one of the most famous olive oils in Italy, is due to the terroir. “We don’t do anything special. It’s just where we are because we are at the climatic limit of the cultivation of olive trees in the centre of Italy. To find the next area for olive trees you have to go to the shores of Lake Garda. We work a lot with green olives, we press them as soon as they are picked. We have changed some things in the last five years, we filter immediately to take away all the sediment, a little with sugar, water. So we give an extra couple of years of life to the extra virgin olive oil. Our oil shows a distinct fruitiness, and spicy, green tomato flavors. It’s not good for every kind of food of course. It’s very unique on vegetables but not for fish, meat, soup, that kind of thing, because it’s very rich, very aromatic. Sometimes it’s even too spicy, but fortunately enough consumer tastes have changed a lot in the past few years.‘

Other crops: Forest. Honey: (Chestnut blossom, acacia flower, oak flower. Extra Virgin Olive oil.

Contact

Fattoria Selvapiana

Loc. Selvapiana 43

50065 Rùfina (FI), Italy

Tel+39 055.8369848 | Website: www.selvapiana.it

Bibliography

Monty Waldin, visits on Thursday 17th March 2005 and on 23 July 2021.

Monty Waldin and Christopher Barnes of Grape Collective, visit.

Oz Clarke 2015, Oz Clarke Wine A-Z (Pavilion, 2015), p.238.