LLS Portfolio Book

Wines of Southern Italy

Valdipiatta

Valdipiatta was founded in 1973, but it was not until Giulio Caporali purchased the property in 1990 that it began to earn a reputation for producing some of the finest Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Through vision, determination and much hard work, Giulio transformed a small Tuscan farmhouse and its vineyard into a modern and successful winery. Not surprisingly, his program of renovation and revitalization began in the vineyards. After a studied, careful analysis of soil conditions, clonal selections, vine densities, and pruning systems, the vineyards were replanted with the aim of producing Prugnolo Gentile (the local name for Sangiovese) grapes of exceptional caliber. These same standards guided Giulio in the following years as he purchased additional vineyards in prime growing areas of Montepulciano. After he finished converting the vineyards, Giulio set about overhauling the cellar with the installation of the most up-to-date equipment and the introduction of small oak barrels from the finest French coopers. He then built an impressive underground cellar by digging deep into the tuffaceous rock of one of the property’s hillsides. Chianti Colli Senesi DOCG This wine is made primarily from Sangiovese with small additions of Canaiolo Nero and Merlot from different vineyards around Montepulciano. The must undergoes an initial pre-fermentation maceration at low temperatures followed by a brief maceration with the skins for greater color and tannin extraction. The wine is aged for six months in large Slavonian oak barrels and six months in bottle.

Rosso di Montepulciano DOC This Rosso di Montepulciano is based on a backbone of Sangiovese (locally referred to as Prugnolo Gentile,) with small additions of Cannaiolo Nero and Mammolo from different vineyards in the Montepulciano area. A portion of the wine is aged for three months in one year old French barriques. The final product is matured for an additional three months in bottle before release.

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG A blend of Sangiovese (called Prugnolo Gentile in Montepulciano) and a small amount Canaiolo Nero, the grapes for this wine are hand harvested in late September. The must undergoes an initial pre- fermentation maceration at low temperatures to release some of the grapes more subtle nuances. The wine is aged for six months in barriques, followed by an additional 12 months in large Slavonian oak barrels. The wine then spends an additional 6 months in bottle for extra elegance and finesse

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG Vigna d’Alfiero This wine is named after Alfiero Carpini, the first vineyard worker at Valdipiatta, who had already been working at the estate for 15 years when Giulio Caporali bought the property in the late 1980s. It was Alfiero who taught the history of each vineyard to the Caporali family and planted a small vineyard in Bossona in 1973. After Alfiero passed away, Giulio Caporali honored his memory by producing a wine with the grapes grown in the vineyard that Alfiero had planted 25 years before.

WINES OF SOUTHERN ITALY

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