A winery full of
surprises: Fattoria Fibbiano
When you become a wine consultant freelancer there
are a thousand advantages, but the biggest is certainly the fact that you can
accept invitations from friends who, when you work full-time, you just can not
honor. And so it was when my dear friend and wine colleague, Emilia Marinig,
invited me to take part in a dinner to taste the wines of Fattoria Fibbiano,
unknown to me, a few months ago.
The tasting took place at Treves & Hyde in
Aldgate, a restaurant I am very fond of, not only for the inviting dishes, but
also because the General Manager Adriano, is a dear friend with whom I have
collaborated in the past.
It is very easy to describe a winery after having seen it, but try to make people imagine it, maybe to those who are not used to visit wineries, that’s something else, yes it's an art that Matteo Cantoni, a former engineer but today the voice of Fattoria Fibbiano outside the Italian borders, owns. It was thanks to his unstoppable energy that he managed to involve and attract all the attention of us, lucky guests.
Before the official presentation in English for a mixed group of people, I had the opportunity to listen to Matteo explaining how his parents, who lived in Milan, one day made a tour around Tuscany and saw a sign indicating the property of Fibbiano, for sale for 17 years. Enchanted by the place and convinced to want to return to live immersed in nature, they bought it in 1990 and since then all the rest is history!
Today the farm comprises 85 hectares of land, of which 40 are planted with vines, the remainder is cultivated with olive trees. The Cantoni family has also built a farm where travelers are welcomed, for those who let themselves be charmed by the area of Terricciola, in the province of Pisa, definitely out of the range of action of the English that usually make Siena or Florence, their city of election.
Inside the farm, the new owners discovered treasures left in inheritance by mother nature: a very old, 100-year-old vineyard that has not been explanted, but taken care of, to produce the most expensive wine of the company (Ceppatella) and a source of water that gives its name to the white wine 'Fonte delle Donne' (we tasted vintage 2017), a blend of Vermentino at 50% and Colombana at 50%. Colombana is a table grape that nobody uses now but that at Fibbiano was cultivated, and since the idea of respecting and preserving traditions is the cardinal principle of the company, it is now used to produce this interesting white wine.
The Colombana vine has been studied by the University of Pisa. It is a variety that lacks structure although it has a strong acidity, and has a low aromatic profile so that the grapes are subjected to cryo-maceration to enhance the aromas.
The fermentation takes place in cement tanks where the wine remains in contact with the fine lees for a couple of months, to gain complexity and body. There are only three producers who vinify Colombana and use it to produce Vin Santo. 10,000 bottles are made of this white. It is a fresh, dry wine with a tasty minerality and hints of herbs. Over time, it can develop notes of honey, thyme, mint and even licorice. This white has been wisely served as an aperitif at the beginning of the dinner accompanying venison tartare with music paper, truffle and toasted ketchup. An unusual combination for this wine, but not at all risky.
As claimed by Matteo, two-thirds of the company's production are represented by red wines. The first red of the evening was their Chianti Superiore DOCG 2015 Casalini, produced from 90% Sangiovese and 10% Ciliegiolo: fermented in cement tanks and then for one year aged in old Slavonian barrels, followed by the aging in bottle for 6 months. A serious, clean Chianti with a beautiful, lively fruit and a marked acidity. The Chianti has been an excellent anticipation of the pure Ciliegiolo 2015 that followed it. Ciliegiolo is a grape that I particularly like!
Fibbiano owns 1.5 hectares of Ciliegiolo and just for those unfamiliar with this vine, it must be said that its name is a direct reference to cherry. It had little exposure to international markets, sold mainly locally although today the wine is going through a revival phase.
The relationship between Ciliegiolo and Sangiovese is not well known, and even if it is married to Sangiovese like in the case of Chianti Casalini, Ciliegiolo has its own charm. It is a grape with strong aromas of red fruit: it is harmonious, but also has a solid structure and shows off a nice freshness.
This grape has always struck me for the abundance of sweet spices and fruit that do not abandon the palate even after the last sip of wine, and makes it ideal even to sip on its own. The Ciliegiolo of Fibbiano has been a revelation for me; I loved it for its precision, its length, its raspberry jam and the clear notes of blood orange peel. Add to this the warm 2015 vintage and what you can get is a special wine...
The Ciliegiolo was paired, by the English chef, to the red pumpkin and leek risotto, with Hampshire tunworth cheese, a kind of French camembert, pasty and fluffy, with aromas of earthy mushrooms and nutty flavor, and with trompette mushrooms (a specific category of mushrooms, also called chanterelle) that well combined with the risotto. It was the most popular dish for everyone, unanimously, for the precision of rice cooking and for the harmony of the combination.
Afterwards, the 2013 l’Aspetto was served: a blend of 50% Sangiovese (from 70-year-old vines) and 50% Canaiolo-the wine ages for 4 months in cement tanks, which provide the conditions for micro-oxygenation and where malolactic fermentation takes place, then 16 months of maturation in Slavonian barrels and finally 12 months of aging in bottle. The 2013, released on the market last October and served by Magnum is an elegant, delicate wine, just like the pork belly served in combination, with a side of truffle and crushed turnip.
It is with this last dish that we have paired two other wines: Ceppatella 2012, from 100% Sangiovese grapes, 130-year-old vines, grown on ungrafted vines, for a total of 1.8 hectares and of which only 2,500 bottles were produced. A complex wine, concentrated in the persistent aromas and flavors of: ripe red fruits, tobacco, vanilla sticks, cocoa, sweet spices, black olives, dark chocolate, licorice. Organic, like all of Fibbiano's production, which in the future will become certified, is a great wine with a potential for longevity of about 20 years or so.
Introducing the last wine of the tasting makes me smile: it was in fact the surprise of the evening not to be revealed immediately, but when Matteo made a quick list of his wine production, my swift question was: among all your wines, which is the one you're most fond of? And the heart took over, making him exclaim: the Sanforte! And he added, shocked: but, that was the surprise of the end of the dinner ... !!!
A unique wine, of which the 2014 vintage was the first produced at Fibbiano, entirely made by Sangiovese Forte, a very popular Sangiovese clone popular around 1852, when it was widely documented, but then slowly destined to disappear. A light color, reminiscent of Pinot Noir, but with an important structure. Fibbiano produces 7,000 bottles.
An evocative taste of pepper, tobacco, dried leaves with silky tannins, copious acidity, an elegant harmony, a surprising finish.
Our dinner ended with Christmas sweets called ‘mince pies’ and a pre-Christmas toast, in an evening of happy and cheerful company. I am sure that, despite the myriad of continuous but pertinent questions I addressed to Matteo during dinner, he has perceived their pure investigative nature for informational purposes, and all in all between us two a nice connection has been established.
Before the official presentation in English for a mixed group of people, I had the opportunity to listen to Matteo explaining how his parents, who lived in Milan, one day made a tour around Tuscany and saw a sign indicating the property of Fibbiano, for sale for 17 years. Enchanted by the place and convinced to want to return to live immersed in nature, they bought it in 1990 and since then all the rest is history!
Today the farm comprises 85 hectares of land, of which 40 are planted with vines, the remainder is cultivated with olive trees. The Cantoni family has also built a farm where travelers are welcomed, for those who let themselves be charmed by the area of Terricciola, in the province of Pisa, definitely out of the range of action of the English that usually make Siena or Florence, their city of election.
Inside the farm, the new owners discovered treasures left in inheritance by mother nature: a very old, 100-year-old vineyard that has not been explanted, but taken care of, to produce the most expensive wine of the company (Ceppatella) and a source of water that gives its name to the white wine 'Fonte delle Donne' (we tasted vintage 2017), a blend of Vermentino at 50% and Colombana at 50%. Colombana is a table grape that nobody uses now but that at Fibbiano was cultivated, and since the idea of respecting and preserving traditions is the cardinal principle of the company, it is now used to produce this interesting white wine.
The Colombana vine has been studied by the University of Pisa. It is a variety that lacks structure although it has a strong acidity, and has a low aromatic profile so that the grapes are subjected to cryo-maceration to enhance the aromas.
The fermentation takes place in cement tanks where the wine remains in contact with the fine lees for a couple of months, to gain complexity and body. There are only three producers who vinify Colombana and use it to produce Vin Santo. 10,000 bottles are made of this white. It is a fresh, dry wine with a tasty minerality and hints of herbs. Over time, it can develop notes of honey, thyme, mint and even licorice. This white has been wisely served as an aperitif at the beginning of the dinner accompanying venison tartare with music paper, truffle and toasted ketchup. An unusual combination for this wine, but not at all risky.
As claimed by Matteo, two-thirds of the company's production are represented by red wines. The first red of the evening was their Chianti Superiore DOCG 2015 Casalini, produced from 90% Sangiovese and 10% Ciliegiolo: fermented in cement tanks and then for one year aged in old Slavonian barrels, followed by the aging in bottle for 6 months. A serious, clean Chianti with a beautiful, lively fruit and a marked acidity. The Chianti has been an excellent anticipation of the pure Ciliegiolo 2015 that followed it. Ciliegiolo is a grape that I particularly like!
Fibbiano owns 1.5 hectares of Ciliegiolo and just for those unfamiliar with this vine, it must be said that its name is a direct reference to cherry. It had little exposure to international markets, sold mainly locally although today the wine is going through a revival phase.
The relationship between Ciliegiolo and Sangiovese is not well known, and even if it is married to Sangiovese like in the case of Chianti Casalini, Ciliegiolo has its own charm. It is a grape with strong aromas of red fruit: it is harmonious, but also has a solid structure and shows off a nice freshness.
This grape has always struck me for the abundance of sweet spices and fruit that do not abandon the palate even after the last sip of wine, and makes it ideal even to sip on its own. The Ciliegiolo of Fibbiano has been a revelation for me; I loved it for its precision, its length, its raspberry jam and the clear notes of blood orange peel. Add to this the warm 2015 vintage and what you can get is a special wine...
The Ciliegiolo was paired, by the English chef, to the red pumpkin and leek risotto, with Hampshire tunworth cheese, a kind of French camembert, pasty and fluffy, with aromas of earthy mushrooms and nutty flavor, and with trompette mushrooms (a specific category of mushrooms, also called chanterelle) that well combined with the risotto. It was the most popular dish for everyone, unanimously, for the precision of rice cooking and for the harmony of the combination.
Afterwards, the 2013 l’Aspetto was served: a blend of 50% Sangiovese (from 70-year-old vines) and 50% Canaiolo-the wine ages for 4 months in cement tanks, which provide the conditions for micro-oxygenation and where malolactic fermentation takes place, then 16 months of maturation in Slavonian barrels and finally 12 months of aging in bottle. The 2013, released on the market last October and served by Magnum is an elegant, delicate wine, just like the pork belly served in combination, with a side of truffle and crushed turnip.
It is with this last dish that we have paired two other wines: Ceppatella 2012, from 100% Sangiovese grapes, 130-year-old vines, grown on ungrafted vines, for a total of 1.8 hectares and of which only 2,500 bottles were produced. A complex wine, concentrated in the persistent aromas and flavors of: ripe red fruits, tobacco, vanilla sticks, cocoa, sweet spices, black olives, dark chocolate, licorice. Organic, like all of Fibbiano's production, which in the future will become certified, is a great wine with a potential for longevity of about 20 years or so.
Introducing the last wine of the tasting makes me smile: it was in fact the surprise of the evening not to be revealed immediately, but when Matteo made a quick list of his wine production, my swift question was: among all your wines, which is the one you're most fond of? And the heart took over, making him exclaim: the Sanforte! And he added, shocked: but, that was the surprise of the end of the dinner ... !!!
A unique wine, of which the 2014 vintage was the first produced at Fibbiano, entirely made by Sangiovese Forte, a very popular Sangiovese clone popular around 1852, when it was widely documented, but then slowly destined to disappear. A light color, reminiscent of Pinot Noir, but with an important structure. Fibbiano produces 7,000 bottles.
An evocative taste of pepper, tobacco, dried leaves with silky tannins, copious acidity, an elegant harmony, a surprising finish.
Our dinner ended with Christmas sweets called ‘mince pies’ and a pre-Christmas toast, in an evening of happy and cheerful company. I am sure that, despite the myriad of continuous but pertinent questions I addressed to Matteo during dinner, he has perceived their pure investigative nature for informational purposes, and all in all between us two a nice connection has been established.
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