Castelvecchio is situated in the Municipality of San Casciano Val di Pesa, the area that produces Chianti Colli Fiorentini.
32 hectares of the estate is cultivated with grapes. The condition of the soil is Pliocene in origin. It is characterized mainly by a kind of pebbly limestone rich in marl, and by sandstone, which offer a good agronomic fertility and basic freshness.
In 1995 the winery, began a renewal plan that has allowed to plant 16 hectares of new vineyards.
Castelvecchio is situated on the top of a hill: part of the vineyard faces south and is cultivated with Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot grapes; the other part faces north and is cultivated with Black Canaiolo, and Chianti Malvasia grapes. The land stands at an altitude of 250 - 350 metres above sea level: the newer vineyards have a plant density of 6000 vine stocks per hectare and the older ones have a plant density of 4000 per hectare. All the vineyards are grown with total natural grass regeneration to maintain the vigour of the plants, achieve a low yield and consequently high quality grapes. This is also accomplished thanks to the fundamental green harvest operation that takes place every year in August and allows us a first selection of the grapes. The average yield is 1 kilo of grapes per plant. The new vineyards are grown on a horizontal spurred cordon system, while the older ones grow on a guyer system.
All the agronomic operations are carried out strictly by hand. The treatment of the vineyard is appropriate and aims at guaranteeing the maximum respect of nature (Reg. CEE 2078/92 reduction of pesticides in agriculture).
Our vineyards are taken care of by specialized personnel that are extremely prepared and love their job.
Information about Winery:
- Founded: 1960 by Renzo Rocchi
- Direction: Filippo and Stefania Rocchi
- Person in charge: Filippo Rocchi
- Wine expert: Luca D'Attoma
- Area: 73 ha
- Vineyards: 32 ha
- Annual wine production: approx.1,500 hl ; approx. 100,000 bottles
- Grape production per hectars: 60 Q.li /Ha
- Fermentation: stainless steel vatsat controlled temperature
- Ageing method: barriques
What matters most is the emotion you get from the wine: When I started to occupy myself with the winery, along with my father Carlo and my sister Stefania, it was almost for fun. I immediately realized though, that I had made a choice of life and that the road I had undertaken was one full of strong emotions. Emotions for the project we have been carrying out with commitment and sacrifice, and the passion for the wine that is born in the vineyard: the very place where the wine-maker's life takes form.
Over the years our agronomist Valerio Barbieri has taught me that the care you take in the vineyards is at the bottom of it all. The objective is to reach the grape harvesting with perfectly sound bunches and perfect skins ready to express all their fruit, essence and aromas in the vinification. These are the traits you need to make an excellent wine. Emotions for the harvest, an extremely exciting moment, from the first sampling of the grapes to make sure that the moment of picking is just right, to the fermentation stage where the temperature, the repassing of the grape dregs over the must, the pressing and the length of the maceration all make a difference.
Emotions for the job in the wine cellar where, after careful malolactic fermentation, the blending of the different wines to be produced takes place. This is the place where the gift, the inspiration of the oenologo, Luca D'Attoma, along with our know-how, are free to express themselves fully before moving on to the maturing and fining stage. I like to get other people involved in what I do and I hope that one day I will be able to create a wine capable of communicating the exact same sensations that this marvellous world gives me. It is probably a dream; it is certainly a challenge. This newsletter has a double task: it means to present Castelvecchio and to describe our activity. It is made especially for those people who love wine and want to learn to read the "message" it encloses.
We dedicate our dream, our challenge to each and every one of them.