Fattoria Selvapiana

Selvapiana originated in the Middle Ages as a watchtower defending the city of Florence to the north, along the valley of the river Sieve. Transformed into a villa, in the Renaissance period it was the summer residence of noble Florentine families and of the bishops of Florence. It was purchased in 1826 by Michele Giuntini, a successful Florentine banker and ancestor of the current owner Francesco Giuntini, who ran the estate from 1957 to 1997. Having always understood the value of the Chianti Rufina area, with stubborn passion he poured great energy into its enhancement. Francesco was among the first in Tuscany to produce wine from Sangiovese grapes alone and to link the estate's flagship wine to one specific single vineyard: Bucerchiale. In 1979 he produced the first vintage of Chianti Rufina Riserva Vigneto Bucerchiale. In 1978 he was the first to place his trust in Franco Bernabei, sensing his great ability — a consulting oenologist now of international renown. Today the property is run by Silvia and Federico, children of Franco Masseti, estate manager at Selvapiana from 1953 to 1990. Silvia and Federico were adopted by Francesco in 1994 to give continuity to his work. Selvapiana currently covers around 250 hectares, of which 58 hectares are vineyards, 36 hectares olive groves and 140 woodland. The owned land is spread across three municipalities: Rufina, Pelago and Pontassieve. The hills of Chianti Rufina lie at the foot of the last spurs of the Apennines. Their proximity profoundly influences the area's microclimate, with cooler summers and a considerable temperature range between day and night. For this reason the grapes can ripen slowly and achieve a good balance of all the berry's aromatic components. The wines have good acidity, elegance, silky tannins and a long finish. Most of the vineyards lie around the Villa, which also serves as the estate's headquarters. The vineyards bear the names of the old farmsteads of the sharecropping era: Vigneto Bucerchiale, Vigneto Fornace, Vigneto Casanova, Vigneto Pesalova, Vigneto Al Pino, Vigneto Erchi… Selvapiana is a certified organic estate; initially, in 1990, only the Fornace vineyard was managed using organic methods, later joined by all the vineyards and olive groves. The new winemaking cellar, inaugurated with the 2005 harvest, makes it possible to process the grapes with the utmost care and naturalness. Vinification takes place in steel tanks and partly in concrete tanks salvaged from the old cellar. Fermentation (which has taken place without the use of selected yeasts since 1992 and with far lower additions of sulphur than in the past) and maceration last for at least 30 days. Ageing in wood takes place partly in the historic cellar in the underground rooms of the Villa and partly in the new barrel cellar. Selvapiana also keeps every vintage of Riserva and Riserva Vigneto Bucerchiale produced from the 1948 vintage onwards. A vertical tasting, as well as being a moving and fascinating event, also means retracing the history of Selvapiana and of Chianti Rufina.