Il Cerchio is an organic estate in the Maremma region of Tuscany. White wines are are made under the Ansonica Costa dell’Argentario DOC, red wines under the Maremma Toscana DOC.

Owner: Corinna Vicenzi and her (ex) partner Valentino would holiday in the Maremma when not running their architecture and town planning consultancy in Milan. They moved here permanently in 1992, having bought Il Cerchio in 1988. They have a son called Benjamino (studied the history of cinema) who in Jan 2015 was 33 and was involved in Il Cerchio. His partner Viola works for RAI in Rome. They met on the beach at Capalbio. Their son is called Alessandro and a daughter called Anita.

Staff: Oen cons: Matura (replaced Attilio Pagli).

Vineyards: 2016 2ha of Ansonica, 0.2ha of Vermentino, 0.8ha of Sangiovese in production plus Alicante Bouschet (0.5ha – bought in bio grapes). In 2014 they planted 0.5ha Alicante Bouschet to replace the 0.5ha of bought in bio grapes (see above), Pugnitello (0.5ha), 0.3 Ciliegiolo and 0.7ha of Sangiovese. Before then there were 3ha of vineyards (wire-trained, single guyot pruned, south-west facing wite with rows oriented north-east/south-west) plus 6ha of pasture, woodland and scrub, plus olives (frantoiano, leccino, moraiolo and pendolino) for extra virgin olive oil.

Certification: 1988 Farmed organically since 1988. / 1994 First vintage with organic certification. | 2016 Still certified organic.

Winemaking: The grapes are hand picked.

White wines

Ansonica Costa dell”Argentario, Il Cerchio: 90% Ansonica, 10% Vermentino. Unoaked. | 2012 9,000 bottles. Nice and savoury, clean, mealy and dense but not heavy at Millésime Bio 2014. L2/2013. Cool esters on nose, then richish orangey-tinged flavours, and attractively weighty texture at Fra’s in Torrenieri on 31 Jan 2014. 2013 9o% Ansonica, 10% Vermentino. 9,000 bottles. Savoury at Millésime Bio 2015. | 2015 Aromatic. Mealy and dense but not heavy at the estate on 11th June 2016. Very nice. 13.5%. L3.2016. 2.6g/l. €7.80 retail.

Maremma Toscana Bianco, L’Altro: 2013 30% Ansonica, 70% Vermentino. Old wood. Very nice, savoury, clear, good at Millésime Bio 2015. / 2015 70% Vermentino, 30% Ansonica. 30% aged in old wood. Very savoury, some bitterness, orange peel, nice structure. Some cold soak pre-ferment. Savoury with nice body and acidity. Licorice too at the estate on 11th June 2016. €10.50 retail at the estate on 11th June 2016.

Red wines

Maremma Toscana Rosso, Valmarina: 2011 4,000 bottles. 90% Sangiovese, 10% Alicante Bouschet. Steel. Nice fruit, dense at Millésime Bio 2014. | 2012 Steel. 3-4,000 bottles. Very nice crisp red plum and mint at Millésime Bio 2015. | 2013 Part fermented in open older barrels for Sang; gives it a bit of mint and vanilla. 28ºC max really. Small vats. So no need to correct temperature. This has lovely crunch at the estate on 11th June 2016. €8.50 retail in June 2016.

Maremma Toscana Rosso, Tinto: Made with Alicante Bouschet (‘Tinto di Spagna’). | 2011 Steel. 16 months in 500-litres tonneaux. 10% Sangiovese. Toast (from oak), and nice and bright at Millésime Bio 2014. | 2012 100% Alicante Bouschet. No Sangiovese. Fermented in 50% steel and 50% barrel (225-litres, old, open-topped barrels) and aged in used barrel. 2,500 bottles. Nice rich sweet plum at Millésime Bio 2015. / 2012 Smells ‘bloody’ says Benjamino. Need to work very cleanly in cellar to avoid animal aromas (ie not too much exposure to oxygen. Want to use sulfites in this. Nice rich sweet plum again, also some bitterness, nice crunch too but round and almost raspberry/apple too at the estate on 11th June 2016. €12.50 retail at the estate on 11th June 2016. | 2014 None made.

Dried Grape wines

Ansonica Passito, Dolce, A: Named after grand-daughter Anita. | 2012 13.5% Hand Picked. Grapes are hung inside or laid on mats. | 2013 13.5%. L3/2015. Steel only. Dry the grapes on a mix of plastic shelves, reed mats (‘graticci’) and under a shelter open to the air. Would like to able to weigh the berries to check how much water is lost but do it on look and taste. Choose looser bunches. Lot of selection in the vines. Pricing according to yield = same margin as other wines. Lovely fruit, grapey freshness with skin-rich texture, not hyper-concentrated but deep rather than heavy or too weighty. Very nice at the 

Contact

Il Cerchio Azienda Agricola Biologica

Via Valmarina, 24

58011 Capalbio (GR ), Italy

Tel+39 0564.898856 | Website: www.ilcerchiobio.it

Bibliography: Visit to the estate on 11th June 2016.