Tenuta San Gervasio is an organic estate winery in Località San Gervasio, a 16th-century borgo surrounded by 400a of land in Palaia in Pisa province, Tuscany. It makes wines under the Chianti DOCG, the Bianco Pisano di San Torpè DOC Vin Santo, and the Colli dell’Etruria Centrale DOC. See also Terre di Pisa DOC.

Owner: Luca Tommasini. His daughter is Lisa. The estate was acquired in 1960 by Luca Tommasini’s father for hunting (see also Tenute Silvio Nardi in Montalcino, and Castello di Volpaia in Chianti Classico). Luca Tommasini began making wine here in the mid-1990s, farmed organically, renovated the winery, replanted vines from biotypes on the estate, and bought more land.

Staff: Consultant Oenolist: Luca d’Attoma (since 1994). Cellarmaster: Mateo Colletti.

Vineyards: 350ha of land. 22ha of vines. 25ha of olives. 20ha of seed crops. Hunting reserve also for agritourism. Began planting at 12,000 vines/ha from 1999. Also vines @ 10,000 vines/ha. Old plots from the 1970s are at 4,000 vines/ha. Pruning varies according to the parcel. Sandy and clay soils. Never used weedkillers. Mustard and barley as cover crops. Sangiovese, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Vermentino, Trebbiano Toscano.

Certification: 1998 First vintage with full organic certification. | 2018 Still certified organic.

White wines

Toscana Chardonnay: 2001 Chardonnay, plus a bit of Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc. | 2003 100% Chardonnay. BF and MLF. Bottled 15 days ago. 2,000 bottles. Oaky nose, bright gold colour, smoky and some lactone, nice fresh sapid and fruit salad, and a lot of texture, buttery and fresh and the oak is not too bitter (Visit, 2005).

Toscana Bianco, San Gervasio: 2006 65% Vermentino, 25% Chardonnay, 10% Sauvignon Blanc.

Toscana Rosato, Aprico:

Toscana Rosato, San Gervasio Rosa:

Pink wines

Aprico Rosato: 2001 Bottled.

Red wines

San Gervasio Rosso: 2003 60% Sangiovese, 30% Merlot, 10% others. First sulfur addition made at first racking. Nice rich ripe fruit, fresh, good traditional style with modern overtones, very appealing (Visit, 2005). | 2010 70% Sangiovese, 20% Merlot. 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. Nice clear ripe black fruit, tight and youthful, a bit foursquare. Commended at DWWA 2nd May 2013.

A Sirio: ‘Dedicated to my father’ in the front label. | 2001 Toscana Rosso IGT.  95% Sangiovese (some at 10,000 vines/ha) + 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Cold maceration for 4 days. Cement vats. Smoky oak, still young, but nice thick fruit, lovely width of tannin (Visit, 2005). | 2008 95% Sangiovese, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Ripe and oaky with some acetone, vanilla and oak tannins nicely present on palate, lots of redcurrant fruit and exuberance too (Silver, DWWA 30th April 2013). | 2013 Terre di Pisa DOC. 100% Sangiovese. 14 months in oak. 14% alc. DWWA 2018 No award. |  2015 Terre di Pisa DOC Sangiovese. 14.5%. L173402 100% Sangiovese. Rich fruit, took about 5 days of being open to express its underlying smooth, rich red fruit, lying beneath some oaky-funky flavours. I got to really like it in the end.

I Renai: 100% Merlot (some planted at high density) plus oak. Warm site, sandy soils. Luca Tommasini likes Merlot and prefers red Bordeaux grapes to Pinot Noir or Syrah which he says are capricious, meaning good bottles are hard to find. | 2001 100% Merlot (some planted at high density) plus oak. Youthful rich plum and leaf, and not over-extracted (Visit, 2005). | 2013 Merlot.

Villa Le Torri: 100% Cabernet Franc.

Chianti DOCG, Le Stoppie: 2001 Bottled.

Sweet wines

Bianco Pisano di San Torpè DOC Vin Santo, Recinaio: 1997 Produced.

Colli dell’Etruria Centrale Vin Santo: 2001 80% Trebbiano, 20% San Colombano.

Contact

Winery: Az Ag San Gervasio

Località San Gervasio

56036 Palaia (PI), Italy

Tel+39 0587 629233. | Website: See here.

Office: Via Edison, 31

56025 Pontedera (PI), Italy

Tel+39 0587 483360.

Bibliography

Visit to the winery on 15th March 2005.