Massa Vecchia is an organic estate in Località Le Roche in Massa Marittima, Grosseto province, in south-west coastal Tuscany, Italy. It was founded in 1985 by Fabrizio Niccolaini who is from Massa Marittima, and his partner Patrizia Bartolini (she is half-Lombard). Fabrizio’s grandfather on his mother’s side had been a charcoal burner (lots of woodland in this area), while his paternal grandfather was a farmer, who had planted vines. In contrast, Fabrizio’s own father had been a diplomat. Fabrizio, who inherited the vines from his father and grandfather told me he was self-taught. He was described by Roy Richards as ‘the Gérard Gauby of the Maremma’.

Owner: From 2009 the estate has been run by Francesca Sfondrini, Patrizia’s daughter, and associates Daniel and Ines Wattenhofer, Thomas Frischknecht and Rocco Delli Colli.

Vineyards: 38ha of land in total. Only 3.6ha of vines. Grape varieties–Red: Aleatico, Alicante (Grenache noir), Cabernet Sauvignon, Malvasia Nera, Merlot, Sangiovese. White: Ansonica, Malvasia di Candia, Sauvignon Blanc, Trebbiano, Vermentino. The vineyards include Tuscan bush vine (‘alberello’) Sangiovese vines at 600 vines per hectare on terraces with one row per 500-metre terrace and the vines 30cm apart.

Organic certification: 1995 First vintage with full organic certification. | 2004 Still organic.

Viticulture: Fabrizio would till the soil with his pair of white, long-horned oxen.

Other crops: 500 olive trees. Some grazing land. Have two Maremma cows (one always on left), they eat 50kg of forage per day, terraced vines on alberello, also vines growing up fruit trees as wild vines growing up fruit trees suffer less from oidium, olives, medicinal herbs, Livornese chickens

White wines

Maremma Bianco DOC, Massa Vecchia Bianco: 2006 IGT Toscana Bianco. 100% Malvasia.

Maremma Bianco DOC, Ariento: Roy Richards considered the Ariento, along with Valentini’s Trebbiano, amongst Italy’s most fascinating white wines. The (mainy) Vermentino. grapes fermented on skins, foot trodden, foot pressed twice a day for five days then 3 weeks on skins with a daily punch down, aged in small chestnut casks says Doug Wregg, (July 2011) who says to try with stuffed sardines (an Elba speciality) or cacciucco (fish stew) a variation on the famous dish from Livorno and most loved by Napoleon during his stay on the island. | 2000 Butter and straw aromas, golden amber hue. Rich, exotic marmelade texture, dry orange fruit, but savoury, fresh but not necessarily crisp (tasted with Roy Richards and his son Edmond in Pickworth on 5th July 2006). | 2001 Ariento 85% Vermentino, 15% Malvasia. | 2002 85% Vermentino, 15% Malvasia.

Maremma Bianco DOC, Massa Vecchia Patrizia Bartolini: Named after Fabrizio Niccolaini’s partner. Late-picked Sauvignon Blanc plus Vermentino. Picked from mid-Oct and sometimes into November. Barrique for 18m. | 1999 Late harvested Sauvignon Blanc and Vermentino.

Pink wines

Maremma Rosato DOC, Massa Vecchia: Merlot and Malvasia Nera: 1999 Aromas of apricot jam and citrus fruits (Roy Richards).

Red wines

Maremma Rosso DOC, Poggio a Venti: 2000 85% Sangiovese and 15% Malvasia Nero.

Maremma Rosso DOC, La Querciola: Skin contact white wine.

Maremma Rosso DOC, Il Matto delle Giuncaie: The name means ‘a bed of rushes’ in Italian. The Aleatico grapes are picked in early Sept and left to dry outside, hanging in an open shed; Aleatico will rot if left on the vine until Oct. Tastes of oranges and prunes with herbal notes, crisp with a sweet finish.

Maremma Rosso DOC, Terziere: 1999 60% Alicante (Grenache Noir), 40% Malvasia Nera. | 2001 60% Alicante (Grenache Noir), 40% Malvasia Nera.

Maremma Rosso DOC, Aleatico: From Elba. Whole bunches of Aleatico grapes are harvested, and are then dried on the vine for two months before vinification.

Maremma Rosso DOC, La Fonte di Pietrarsa: Their most ‘international wine. Cabernet Sauvignon. Named after a short story by Renato Fucini. 1999 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot. | 2000 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot.

Maremma Rosso DOC, Massa Vecchia Poggio aVenti: Sangiovese, from Fabrizio Niccolaini’s grandfather’s old vineyard. Fermented in open-top wooden vats, then into new barrels and botti for 24m, bottled unfined and unfiltered. | 2000 85% Sangiovese, 15% Malvasia Nera. | 2001 14.5% alc. Powerful red fruit aromas, real weight; really ripe complex tannins; loads of fruit, some wild mushroom and dust, really wild and earthy (Monteregio di Massa Marittima, 12th March 2005).

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