Terre del Sillabo is a wine estate based in a red house just off the Lucca-Camaiore road in Lucca, in the province of that name in Alto Tuscany, Tuscany. Wines are made under the Colline Lucchesi DOC.

Owner: Giovan Pio Moretti, called and known by all as “Giampi” Moretti and Clara (his wife) Moretti.

Staff: Alberto Antonini as consultant until 2002.

Estate vineyards: 7ha hectares of vineyards. Planted between 1990 and 2000.

Terroir: In pre-Apennine Tuscany, in Valfreddana (Lucca Province). The estate lies near the head of the valley where it is very narrow and this produces a cold windy micro-climate with a big day-night inversion. Hence it has been described as “the most white-oriented estate in Tuscany,” (Gambero Rosso: 2003, p.496). The vines currently extend from the valley floor to the mid-hill at an altitude ranging between 60 and 150 meters above sea level. South-facing or west south west you could say. Very rocky soils on the hills, some terraces; sandier lower down. Most of the red grapes are at Mutigliano (where it is clay-rich).

White wines

Colline Lucchesi DOC Chardonnay: 2001 5-8,000 bottles. Rich, butter, nice Burgundian style, decent acid, and width, but a bit clumsy perhaps (Visit 2005).

Colline Lucchesi DOC Sauvignon: 1999 Nice crisp green fruit nose; very Pouilly-like and very good, mineral and elegant and so fresh at 6 years old (Visit 2005). | 2001 10,000 bottles. Quite a sherry-style but no MLF but oxidised (Visit 2005).

Colline Lucchesi DOC Sauvignon, Gana: 2001 BF and MLF. Quite high tone acetaldehyde; fresh acid again (Visit 2005.

Toscana Bianco, Spante: Spante was a figure of speech from Lucca from the 1800s which means ‘splendid’ and in this case means it is made from the best Chardonnay grapes selected in the vineyard. Vines planted mainly from 1990-93. | 2001 2,500 bottles. BF and MLF I think. Deepish gold, rich honeyed nose, buttery but the alcohol is well-integrated (Visit 2005).

Red wines

Toscana Rosso IGT, Niffo: Niffo=local name for the face of wild animals. | 1999 50% Cabernet Sauvignon & Cabernet Franc, 50% Merlot, Sangiovese, Colorino, Canaiolo. Leafy Cabernet Franc nose, some minty chocolate too, not bad, bit grubby but can see why people might like this as a Graves-style red; soft and and leafy (Visit 2005).

Agritourism: This is called Le Muralle which is next door to the winery. Run by his sister Daniella.

Contact

Terre del Sillabo

Via Per Camaiore Traversa V

Loc. Cappella, I-55060 Lucca (LU), Italy

Tel+39 0583.394487 | Website: www.terredesillabo.it