•Cortona

9. Toscana

TOSCANA - Cortona

TERROIR:

Cortona is a small town in the heart of Toscana, at an altitude of 585 metres. Cortona overlooks the broad and harmonious view of Valdichiana, dotted with farms andvineyards, proof of the ancient and historical excellence of its wines. Valdichiana is the largest of the Apennine valleys and has always been dedicated to the cultivation of the vine, thanks to a fertile land rich in clay, silt, pebbles and sand.Cortona has ancient origins and it is located in one of the most fertile and propitious areas of Tuscany. The only area where wines DOC CORTONA can be produced, is in the village of Cortona near Arezzo town.

MERLOT CORTONA DOC* “SMERIGLIO” - Baracchi winery

SANGIOVESE CORTONA DOC* “SMERIGLIO” - Baracchi winery

SYRAH CORTONA DOC* “SMERIGLIO” - Baracchi winery

TOSCANA IGT** “ARDITO” - Baracchi winery

* label guaranteeing the origin of a wine.** indication of geographic tipicity.

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FEATURES:

MERLOT CORTONA is a red lively garnet wine, at times withpurple reflections, tending to become brick red with ageing;it smells of scent of small fruits, with hint of grass; the taste is dry, harmonic and full bodied.

SANGIOVESE CORTONA is a ruby red wine with a tendency to become red-orange with ageing; the smell is smooth, intenseand elegant and the taste is dry and harmonic.

SYRAH CORTONA is a ruby garnet red wine with a characteristicand elegant bouquet with a dry and harmonic taste.

TOSCANA IGT it is a label that shows that this wine can be produced only in some villages (Arezzo, Firenze, Grosseto,Livorno, Lucca, Massa Carrara, Pisa, Pistoia, Prato, Siena) in the region of Toscana. The wine can be of different types:red, white or sweet. There are very strict rules for theproduction of TOSCANA IGT wines.

GRAPE HARVEST AND PROCESSING:

MERLOT CORTONA is made with minimum 85% of Merlot grapes. Merlot grapes is harvested in the middle of September.Maceration take place in stainless steel tanks for a period of 20 days, and then it is transferred into French oak barriques(Troncais, Nevers and Alliers medium toasting) for 12 months and ages in bottles for 6 months before release.

SANGIOVESE CORTONA is made with minimum 85% ofSangiovese grapes. Sangiovese harvest is done in the first week of October. Maceration take place in stainless steel tanks for a period of 21 days, then it is aging in French oak barriques (Troncais, Nevers and Alliers medium toasting) for 12 months and for 6 months in bottles.

SYRAH CORTONA is made with minimum 85% of Syrah grapes. Syrah grapes is harvested at the middle of September.Maceration take place in still tank for a period of 25 days, then it is aging in French oak barriques (Troncais, Nevers andAlliers medium toasting) for 12 months and for 6 months inbottles.

Merlot grapes

Merlot Cortona

Sangiovese vine

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TOSCANA IGT “Ardito” is a bland of 50% of CabernetSauvignon, and 50% Syrah.Syrah harvest is done in the mid of September while Cabernet Sauvignon harvest is done in the beginning of October, so the grapes are vinified separately.Maceration take place in stainless steel tanks for a period of 21-22 days, during which time alcoholic fermentation iscompleted.The wine is then transferred to French oak barriques (Troncais, Nevers and Alliers medium toasting).

The wine is blended and then returned to the barrels for about 20months aging, followed by aging in bottles for about one year.

CURIOSITY:

Paleontological studies have shown that vine was alreadywidespread before humans appeared on earth.There is no doubt that vine induced people to abandon their nomadic life, inviting them to settle down on pleasant hills to follow the whole cycle of growing before grapes ripen and were ready to be pressed and transformed into must and then into wine.In the past Italy was called “Enotria”, meaning “land of wine”, so it is obvious that vine has always been present in ourcountry, especially in Toscana. Therefore, Phoenician navigators were not the ones whobrought the plant with them to Toscana since it was already there: proof of it would be some travertine finds which appeared in the area, on which scientists found evident fossil marks of “vitis vinifera”, our ancestor of vine, which was not yet cultivated.

During the Middles Ages, wine was considered according to its main liturgical, therapeutic and amusing aspects, along with the nutritional ones. The importance of wine for Christian religion is commonly known, as it gained from this its mystic-sacred character (wine was considered to be “the blood of Christ”).This fact contributed to emphasize its social value and to enhance grape growing even ininfertile areas of the world. Wine maturation begun in the 18th century, when the invention of cork together with the appearance of glass bottles, which had already been in use for a few centuries, allowed wine preservation.Before that time, wine was protected by a light layer of oil and the top of its containers wascovered with a cloth or with greaseproof paper, but these methods were not enough toguarantee its correct preservation.

Syrah grapes

Wild grapevine

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