Tenuta Cortina e Mandorli Montespertoli

The Farm The "Tenuta di Cortina e Mandorli" is the result of the amalgamation of four different estates: Cortina, Mandorli, La Bartola an La Vestigliana which, together, cover a surface area of over 700 hectares, characterized by a hilly position, located in the Municipality of Montespertoli. The soil is the result of the degradation of sedimentary geological formations originating from the Pliocene epoch; around one million years ago, these formations made up the bed of an ancient sea, and the gentle hills were created by their upheaval, linked to complex orogenic phenomena, which led to the formation of the Apennines. For this reason, it is common to find marine fossils in the fields. Today these hills are given over to the cultivation of vines, olives and other crops (durum wheat, sunflowers and field beans), and are situated within a landscape enriched by the presence of extensive woodland. In order to get an idea of the size of the estate, it should be mentioned that, back in sharecropping times, the main nucleus of "Cortina" and "Mandorli" alone was made up of over 40 farm units. Since 1970, the estate has been run with the help of employees. Today 80 hectares of specialized vineyard are cultivated (70 of which are on the Chianti DOCG Register), along with 12,000 olive plants and around 250 hectares of crops. With regard to viticulture, the varieties which are traditionally grown in this area, such as Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Colorino, Trebbiano and Malvasia, have been joined in recent years by Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. The estate has its own winery where the wines are made, stored and aged. Of particular interest to visitors are the cellars where wine is stored in cement tanks or aged in barriques, as well as the room used for drying the grapes for making "vinsanto" (fortified wine) and the "vinsantaia". The olives produced are placed in crates and pressed within one day of picking in the estate's own oil press. The oil press is only used for olives produced on the estate and combines traditional millstone crushing with cold oil extraction, using a modern centrifugal extractor. The considerable patrimony of real estate is currently being renovated for farm holiday activities. The estate can offer guest rooms or comfortable apartments for vacationers. By booking in advance, it is also possible to taste our wines and organize meals based on typical local products in the guest lodge. Wine production The Cortina e Mandorli estate covers an area of around 700 hectares which are all situated within the Municipality of Montespertoli. The land occupies a hilly position at a height of between 200 - 250 m. above sea level. The estate's main activities are centered around the vineyard - 80 hectares of specialized vines, 70 of which are on the Chianti D.O.C.G. and Chianti Montespertoli D.O.C.G. Vineyard Registers. The soil on which the vines are cultivated originates from the degradation of clayey and sandy formations from the Plio-Pleistocene epochs, characterized by the sporadic presence of masses and a considerable diversity. The intrinsic nature of the land has resulted in a deep, clayey-sandy soil which gives wines of excellent structure, suitable for aging. The varieties found in the old vineyards consist mainly of Sangiovese (80%), Canaiolo (10%), Colorino (5%), Trebbiano and Malvasia (5%). The vineyards are characterized by the Tuscan bow pruning method, with a density of approximately 3,000 plants per hectare. Over the last few years, a vineyard restructuring program has been launched which includes the use of other vine varieties such as Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon in addition to Sangiovese. The cordon trained pruning method is used in the new vineyards which have a density of 5,000 plants per hectare. The following wines are presently produced: Chianti D.O.C.G. Sangiovese (85%), Canaiolo (10%), Colorino (5%). The grapes are fermented in steel tanks with extended maceration for 10/12 days. The wine is preserved in cement tanks and bottled in the late spring following the harvest. The wine is generally sold from the month of July following the harvest. Chianti Montespertoli "Poggignano" D.O.C.G. (named after one of the holdings on the estate) this differs from Chianti due to the 100% Sangiovese base used, the more modest vine-stock production and the passage of part of the wine into barriques. The wine is bottled after one year of maturation in cement tanks. Rosso di Toscana I.G.T. "Poggioaicozzi" (named after one of the estate's vineyards) this represents a selection of the estate's best grapes, 70% Sangiovese and 30% Merlot, which are matured in barriques for 12 months and bottle aged for three months. Merlot di Toscana I.G.T. "Il Gioiello" (named after one of the holdings on the estate) this is pure Merlot fermented in steel tanks with maceration on skins for 12/15 days; after being drawn off, it is placed in French oak barriques where it remains for 12/18 months. The wine is bottle aged for 12 months. To date we have bottled the 2000 vintage (10,000 bottles), which is the first to be produced by the estate's new vineyards. Vinsanto del Chianti di Montespertoli "Le Solaie" D.O.C. (named after one of the holdings on the estate) this wine is obtained by following the traditional rules governing the production of Tuscan "vinsanto" (fortified wine). After a careful selection, the Trebbiano and Malvasia grapes are picked and hung in a large, well ventilated room, where they are left to dry naturally until the required concentration is reached (sometimes even until the month of February following the harvest). The grapes are then pressed and the must obtained is fermented in oak kegs with a capacity of 55 to a maximum of 100 liters, and left to mature for at least 3 years. Vino Bianco di Toscana I.G.T. "Villa Adriana" (named after the estate's main villa) obtained from Trebbiano and Malvasia grapes. The grapes are picked when they have reached the correct level of ripeness. After slight contact with the skins for around 6 hours, the must is fermented off skins. Olive production Around 12,000 olive plants are cultivated on the "Tenuta Cortina e Mandorli". The olive-groves cover around 100 hectares of hilly land which is characterized by an average altitude of 200 - 250 m above sea level, on terrain dating back to the Pliocene or Pleistocene epoch. The olive plants consist of a well-balanced selection of cultivars of "moraiolo", "frantoio", "leccino" and "pendolino". On average, between 600 and 1,500 quintals of olives are produced per year, which give an average yield of 14% olive oil. The olives are all picked by hand between the end of October and the beginning of December, and pressed within 48 hours of harvesting in the estate's own oil press. The olives are subjected to the following process: Picking and storing in 20 Kg crates; Defoliation using an aspirator; The olives are washed with water; The olives are subjected to a preliminary mechanical pressing with hammers; This is followed by pressing with stone mullers; The olive paste obtained is kneaded; Extraction is carried out by means of a centrifugal decanter without the addition of water; Final centrifugation take places in order to separate the last traces of vegetable water; The oil is preserved and stored in stainless steel tanks. The olive oil is characterized by a good fruity taste with touches of artichoke leaf, as well as bitterness and spiciness of a medium intensity.