Avignonesi Winery in Tuscany

A Renaissance is occurring in the Avignonesi winery in Montepulciano. A Renaissance that began when Virginie Saverys purchased the winery in 2009. Just as the cultural Renaissance of the 14th century witnessed the flowering of art and literature based on the classics, so the modernization of Avignonesi is based on its history--one of the longest of any winery in Italy.

Virginie Saverys has always had a commitment to organic products and homeopathic medicine, shunning pesticides and chemicals as being unhealthy for her family and the earth. Naturally, she envisioned organic and biodynamic techniques in the vineyards and winery of this august estate. The word renaissance means "re-birth" and suggests a revisiting of tradition, sparking innovation and artistry.  Her belief in respecting the land and expressing the terroir in the glass reflects  the time before industrial farming when farmers tended their crops by hand and lived in harmony with the rhythms of nature. In the current age, these practices are enhanced by scientific insight concerning geology, hydrology and soil composition. Biodynamics are used in all Avignonesi's 200 acres and they are undergoing the long conversion to being organically certified. The original estate vineyards of Le Capezzine, I Poggetti, La Selva and La Lombarda will have completed their conversion next year, whereas the recent acquisitions of Lodola, Greppo and Matracchio are towards the beginning of the process.

Virginie brought in a new staff of young people, many women, to implement her vision.  Winemaker, Ashleigh Seymour, is from Australia. While obtaining her Enology degree, she worked in the Barossa Valley and Adelaide Hills before moving on to Condrieu in Northern Rhone, then to Avignonesi. Tamara Marini gave us a tour of the vineyards, pointing out the mustard, arugula and fava beans growing around the vines. Nitrogen fixers, they provide natural fertilizers when plowed into the fields. The air buzzed with bees and insects since no pesticides are used. She noted that organic and biodynamic practices in the vineyard are more labor intensive, but, "If you want to make good products that reflect the terroir, you have to start in the soil." Yields are kept low--only 3-4 bunches of grapes per vine--to produce juice with concentrated flavor.

I found the most interesting of the four experimental vineyards at the main Le Capezzine estate to be La Stella where the vines are bush trained and planted in a “settonce” system. Each vine is at the corner of a triangle, creating a hexagonal pattern of five plants with one in between. So, instead of rows of leaves that create a "wall" that blocks ventilation, air circulates between each plant. When the canes grow, each plant has theirs tied together above the vine, which maximizes sun exposure on the canopy.

We tasted 9 of the 13 wines Avignonesi produces. When Virginie purchased Avignonesi, she also acquired two vineyards in the adjacent wine region of Cortona, which experience a warmer climate than the Montepulciano vineyards. This allows cultivation of the French varietals of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Syrah. The Avignonesi Vignola Toscana Sauvignon Blanc has pleasing grapefruit, lemon and passion fruit flavors, with a long finish. The Il Marzocco Chardonnay Cortona DOC is made from 100% Chardonnay picked at night to preserve acidity, and is round in the mouth with a fresh taste.

Their Rosso di Montepulciano DOCG is a very pleasing 100% Sangiovese with a fresh fruity taste that I think would pair beautifully with tomato and Parmesan cheese crostini. I enjoyed their balanced and structured 100% Sangiovese Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and the premium reserve version called the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG Riserva Grande Annate made with 15% Cabernet Sauvignon; both would pair well with grilled steak and meat dishes. We can look forward to a new 100% Sangiovese, single vineyard Riserva when the 2011 vintage is released.

Their super-tuscan Grifi Toscana IGT is made from 60% Sangiovese and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon from vines from 8-39 years old. The Desiderio Merlot Cortona DOC is 85% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and shows the more fruit-forward side of this elegant blend of traditional and new varietals.  50&50 Toscana IGT was born at a dinner between friends--the former owner of Avignonesi and the former owner of Capannelle in Chianti Classico. Drinking Avignonesi Merlot and Capannelle Chianti, they mixed their wines in one glass and a new wine was born. Multi-faceted and elegant, the wine must be labeled IGT since it does not comply with the DOC and DOCG appellation regulations.

Most Montepulciano wineries make Vin Santo, but the Avignonesi Vin Santo di Montepulciano DOC is in a class by itself. It takes 12 years to make this precious liquid. Hand-selected grape bunches are layered on straw mats from floor to ceiling where they dry from September to January under carefully controlled conditions so no mold is formed. After they have lost about 70% of their volume, the raisinated grapes are gently pressed and the juice poured into Slavonian oak "caratelli" that contain last year's  "madre" mother yeast. Some room is left in the barrel  for air. The caratelli are always stored on the top floor with open windows so the temperature can vary during the year. The wine remains in the caratelli for 10 years.
During the warm summer months, the yeast is actively fermenting, in cold winter, it is dormant and the wine remains on the lees. After 10 years, about 60% of the original volume is lost, part from evaporation and part from having to discard some wine that is not up to standard. The wine is blended, bottled, then aged another 6 - 10 months in bottle. Their Vin Santo is as thick as syrup, a dark amber color and has layers and layers and layers of flavors from dried fig and plum to marzipan, honey and vanilla.

Avignonesi's "green" philosophy extends to the kitchen of their restaurant, where all the ingredients are organic. The cooking classes are a terrific way to learn how to make regional specialties while providing optimal nourishment. In the cooking classes, participants go out to the garden with the chef to pick fresh vegetables, herbs and fruit for hands-on preparation of a meal that includes handmade pasta, sauce, side dishes and dessert. To make a reservation for a cooking class, to taste the delicious Avignonesi wines,  or enjoy a meal in their lovely glass dining room surrounded by the rolling hills of Tuscany, visit their website at: www.avignonesi.it