Travel

Two from Lucca
«Vkus» №9 2006

Thanks to the incredible success of Sassicaia, Ornellaia and other wines of the Tuscan coast we learnt about Bolgheri and Maremma.

One can count years since these sleepy rural areas became some of the most fashionable Italian vineyards. The Tuscan coast has several other territories which are quickly gaining their winemaking reputation. Among them is Lucca province — a place of old traditions with new wave winemakers.

The old part of Lucca is hidden behind ideally preserved fortified walls with a wide rampart. The place is equally popular among its citizens and tourists. Lucca is renowned for its history. In early 13th century Lucca — even before Florence — boasted a status of a republic. Lucca flourished through trade. Rich medieval architecture is left as witness to that great power of former times.

Lucca’s chronicles include a religious event that had a direct influence on local winemaking traditions. During the times of Protestant persecution the Lucchese agreed with papal cardinals that their families will leave the city instead of going to trial. Thus many natives of Lucca found themselves in other European countries. When the dark era ended people returned from exile and did so not with empty hands. They brought new vines. This is why the hills around Lucca have an eclectic mix of vineyards — from Swiss Chasselas to Rhone Syrah and Roussanne and Bordeaux Cabernet and Merlot.

Saverio Petrilli, Tenuta di Valgiano winemaker, told about these curious facts. The estate itself counts over 500 years. During all its existence Tenuta di Valgiano changed hands only three times. Now the estate belongs to Moreno Petrini who together with his partners Laura Avogadro di Collobiano and Saverio Petrilli turned Tenuta di Valgiano in one of the model wineries of the coast. Although looking like a typical Tuscan farm that grows grapes and olives, Tenuta di Valgiano is very different from others. It is one of the first Italian wineries to have started using biodynamic methods in the vineyards.

“We didn’t start with the idea of producing great wines”, says Saverio Petrili. “We had a simple aim of making young fruity wines that could be sold the following spring. I don’t believe in projects that claim to make great wines from the start because nature is not accounted for. It takes a long time”.

The winemaker gradually opened the character of terroir in Tenuta di Valgiano, and biodynamic approach was a logical continuation of his work. Biodynamics doesn’t accept any artificial manipulations in the vineyards and winery and bans synthetic herbicides, pesticides and so on. It makes use of special natural preparations which make the soils alive and the vineyards — healthy. Thus the natural system returns to the state of balance.

Petrilli demonstrates a simple but persuasive example. We stop near a conventional vineyard, and the winemaker points out to heavy, bluish leaves treated with nitrogen fertilizers. He squeezes the leaf and it remains still in a new form, unable to turn to the original shape. Later he makes the same trick with a leaf from his vineyard. A light green leaf springs back to normal. It is noticeable that the shoots are eagerly pushing towards the sky.

“We have a plot with 45-year-old vines, the oldest in the estate. I was going to rip them off because of illnesses but biodynamics helped them to restore”, notes Petrilli.

The vineyards take 16 hectares and lie in the middle part of Lucchese hills. Heterogeneous soils (gravel, sand and clay rich in minerals with inclusions of local albarese soil) make the winemaker carefully choose plots for different varieties. He knows well which parts are more suitable for Sangiovese, Merlot or Syrah.

Answering the question about the difference of cost between conventional and labour intensive biodynamic winemaking, Petrilli says, “The costs are not too high if the project is considered long term. The initial stage is more expensive, but it relates not only to the vineyard, but to human efforts. Then, though, vines get healthier and better self-regulate”.

There is another Lucca winemaker who switched to biodynamic practice. Six years ago Gabriele da Prato decided to restore abandoned family vineyards which are planted on steep slopes. To get the idea of their steepness, it is enough to look at their picture on the labels.

For generations the main source of family income was a small osteria founded in 1890 and now mentioned in SlowFood guide, although da Prato have always owned several rows with vines. Gabriele inherited scattered plots with old vines with a total area of three hectares. Before him varieties were planted chaotically — the winemaker prefers to call them the ‘original field crop’. Among them are popular Sangiovese, Merlot and Syrah and less known Maracchina, Colombana and others.

The Garfagnana area where Podere Concori estate is located, is cut off from Lucca by high hills. Poor, but complex soils include schist, sandstone, gravel and sand and make the roots go very deep. The vineyards here are healthier and stronger than in other parts of Lucca.

“I can’t imagine myself without my land. So when I decided to work with vines, I had to return to the basics”, says Gabriele da Prato. He calls himself vigneron on a French manner — that is a winegrower whose mission is to serve his vineyard. Biodynamics for him is just as natural as a desire to make wines that reflect all nuances of the place. Da Prato produces only 4,000 bottles of white and red wine called Melograno. There are very few other wines in Lucca that can be compared to Melograno in elegance and depth.

Gabriele da Prato remembers with a smile that several years ago Lucca winemakers thought that biodynamics was a ready made kit that you could buy in a shop. Nowadays they show a lot of interest to what is happening in Tenuta di Valgiano and Podere Concori. A palpable difference in quality is a major argument of biodynamics. Hardly anyone will argue with that.