Fattoria della Talosa is an estate in the Montepulciano region in Siena province, Tuscany. The estate was formerly called Fattoria di Fugnano. Its main wines are Chianti Colli Senesi DOCG, Rosso di Montepulciano DOC, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOC, and Vin Santo di Montepulciano DOC. Talosa is the name of one of the towns’ eight contrade in which the winery is found. The contrada’s symbol, a rose, features on the Talosa labels. Talosa is also s corruption of Toulouse.

Owner: In 1972 it was bought by entrepreneur, Angelo Jacorossi (Swiss, I think).

Staff: Tech Dir: Michele Merola. Manager: Roberto Cangini. Winemaker: Umberto Trombelli (2013). Ottorino de Angelis (see also Canneto)-no longer here. Manager Cristian Pepi (here since 2010; has worked for Antinori). Met him 22 Oct 2015 when he showed me the vines, the winery and the historic ageing cellar in the town–see below.

Vineyards: 2015 35 hectares of vines north of the town of Montepulciano, at Pietrose. 23ha for Vino Nobile and 3.60ha for Rosso di Montepulciano. Also 4ha of Chianti Colli Senesi DOCG, and rest is IGT Toscana. Terroir South-facing. 350-400 metres. Very windy. Sandy clay here, the sandy component making for earlier drinking wines compared to than more clay-rich areas like Cervognano.

Viticulture: 2015 No herbicides but systemics and other sprays are used for pest and disease control.

Winery: The wines are fermented near the vineyards. Steel tanks here. The ageing (barrel) cellars are at Via Talosa, 8 in the centre of the town of Montepulciano (a logistical challenge), just round the corner from Contucci near the Piazza Grande. The cellars are said to form the foundations of two 15th-century palazzi called Tarugi and Sinatti, a mixture of brick arches and bare rock face for walls. One of the bare rock face walls shows a mural of a deer or roebuck dating to the Etruscans, who used this cavern for cold storage.

Red wines

Merlot, Pierose: 2015 2,600 bottles. Dense, appealing (Anteprima 2020).

Chianti Colli Senesi DOCG, Fattoria della Talosa

Rosso di Montepulciano DOCG, Talosa: 2012 Well made, bright fluffy Sangiovese style, good standard but hardly exciting (Anteprima, 2014).

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG, Fattoria della Talosa | 2009 90% Sangiovese (‘Prugnolo Gentile’), 10% Merlot. Ripe and deep, full black fruit, integrated new smoky oak which is balanced by herby black olive, chocolate and black cherry flavours, elegant and enriching at DWWA 1st May 2013. Silver medal. | 2010 Decent if hardly exciting fluffy style (Anteprima, 2014). | 2012 90% Sangiovese, 10% Merlot. 24m in large oak vats. 14%. | 2015 Smooth oaky fruit. Flatteux  (Anteprima, 2018).| 2016 14.5% alc. 24m in oak. 4th-fill French oak Tonneaux, and Slavonian botti. Ripe, sappy, good structure (Anteprima, 2019).

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG Riserva, Fattoria della Talosa | 2014 Very deep colour; rich dark fruit with well-structured fruit and wood-tannins. Solid mouthful  (Anteprima, 2019). | 2015 Made from older vines and the first choice of the best Sangiovese. 20,000 bottles. Well made good classic , old style but clean and satisfying (Anteprima, 2019).

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG Riserva, Filai Lunghi: 2007 Bottled. | 2009 Bottled. | 2011 Bottled. | 2014 Bottled. | 2016 25 year-old vines. 8,000 bottles. 14.5%. Clear, rich dark fruit (Anteprim, 2020)

Sweet wines

Vin Santo di Montepulciano DOC: Trebbiano, Malvasia and Grechetto.

Bibliography

Rosemary George MW, Treading Grapes (London, 2004), p182-3

Contact

Visits, historic winery, legal address (Sede legale e Cantina Storica)

Fattoria della Talosa

Via Talosa, 8

I-53045 Montepulciano (SI), Italy

Production site (Sede operativa)

Fattoria della Talosa

Via delle Pietrose, 15A

I-53045 Montepulciano (SI), Italy

Tel+39 0578.758277 | Website www.talosa.it