It was the year 1860, when Giuseppe Garibaldi and the king of Sardinia, Vittorio Emanuele II, they met in Teano, in the province of Caserta. The historic meeting between North and South concluded the Expedition of the Thousand, with Garibaldi handing over the newly conquered Southern Kingdom and his withdrawal to Caprera, after having obtained that his followers became part of the army of the Kingdom of Italy.
A meeting that made the history of Italy. 100 years after two great friends, Giovanni Carlo Sacchet and Antonio Mario Zaccheo, one from Belluno and the other from Puglia, met, not in Teano, but in Tuscany to write the story of a great wine. It was 1967, in fact, when the two boys, still very young, founded the Carpineto, an internationally successful winery, with the intention of producing the best Chianti Classico that could be offered. With this in mind, they chose Tuscany, a land with enormous potential, to produce high quality wines using decidedly innovative techniques for those times. So much so that Carpineto has become a brand with international success, known all over the world. Well positioned abroad with a direct export to over 70 countriesfrom Canada to Germany to Australia.
About the 95% of the production is made up of red wines, mostly aged 3 years and older. Currently, Carpineto markets around 3 million bottles, with 3 production lines and over 30 labels. Most of it is given by wines from the most prestigious DOCGs of Tuscany.
We are in the Carpineto estate, which since its foundation the surface of the vineyards has increased tenfold, passing to over 200 hectares, divided into 5 estates called Appodiati: from Montepulciano, Montalcino, Gaville, Dudda and Gavorrano.
Latest generation technologies with very little environmental impact
THEAppodiato of Montepulciano it is the modern heart of the company, with a leafy area of 184 hectares of land. Precision agriculture is practiced here, with latest generation technologies with very little environmental impact. A model of sustainability, especially as regards carbon: with vineyards and woods that absorb more carbon dioxide than the company produces. And right here, surrounded by vineyards, the new cellar was completed, built according to eco-compatibility criteria. Always open by reservation for walks in the vineyard, tastings and shopping.
In this Appodiato, the company produces 4 Cru, obtained only in exceptional years: they are the so-called Vineyards of the Appodiati, true icons of wine, bottled without undergoing treatments and left at least 5 years to refine in the bottle. Furthermore, in the vineyards of Montepulciano, the company produces the Vino Nobile Riserva DOCG and the Cru of Nobile Vigneto Poggio Sant'Enrico Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG (100% Sangiovese), award-winning wines in the last 7 years.
THEAppodiato of Montalcino, however, is one of the highest denominations at about 500 meters above sea level. 53 hectares of land, 10 of which are vineyards planted with Sangiovese Grosso: 3,5 of Brunello, 5 of Rosso di Montalcino, the rest Sant'Antimo Rosso.
The northerly position gives the Brunello (100% Sangiovese grosso) intense and complex aromas, but also great elegance and longevity. With a ruby red color, with garnet reflections, the Brunello di Montalcino DOCG (red wines) it is distinguished by a dry, soft and very persistent flavour. The nose releases hints of vanilla, cherry, raspberry and licorice. Excellent with meats, especially with the Florentine, while the older vintages can also be consumed after meals.
The historic heart of the company is certainly theAppodiato of Dudda, the original seat of the Chianti Classico. The complex is surrounded by 8 hectares of Sangiovese vineyards of the Chianti Classico. The refinement takes place in an underground cell, at a constant temperature and can house up to 1 million bottles.
A few kilometers away, we find theSupported by Gaville: 65 hectares of land, of which 13 are vineyards and 17 are olive groves. Here too, in an underground cell in the cellar, around 1000 small wooden barrels can be found.
The last challenge, the Vermentino studied for ten years
Finally we arrive in the upper Maremma, in theAppodiato of Gavorrano with 165 hectares of land: 10 vineyards, 5 olive trees (part of arable land) and a large Mediterranean forest. An oasis of nature a stone's throw from the sea, with a farmhouse that dominates the landscape. Echo of one of the most legendary stories contained in the poetic verses of the Divine Comedy, dedicated to Pia de'Tolomei, whose beauty echoes in the ruins of Catel di Pietra, bordering the Val Colomba and reachable on foot along a canal that carried the water directly to the castle. A place so full of poetry that it stole the hearts of the two friends.
In this estate, among the excellences, there is the Vermentino vineyard, planted in 2008 a few kilometers from the sea. The Maremma Tuscany DOC Vermentino Valcolomba it was produced for the first time a decade ago, a small production of around 6 bottles. Its success, however, required a substantial increase in production, up to over 10 bottles produced.
A wine from marked acidity, good persistence, dry and with savory herbaceous notes (which recall the origin of the name of the vine, "vermena", or blade of grass). The nose offers floral notes and fragrances of Mediterranean scrub. The grapes, rigorously harvested by hand, are destemmed, selected and gently pressed for a quick cold maceration. Once the must has been decanted, fermentation begins at low temperatures and very slowly, with indigenous yeasts in steel tanks where it remains for just over 6 months until bottling. A refreshing wine, easy to drink, perfect for carefree drinking. Ideal with fish first courses or main courses, but also with shellfish. Also excellent as an aperitif with raw or fresh cheeses.
Innovators by nature, Sacchet and Zaccheo together with their children Caterina and Elisabetta Sacchet, Francesca and Antonio Michael Zaccheo continued to "experiment", but with respect for the history and culture of this land, with the aim of protecting the characteristics of their wines but above all of the environment. A sip of their wines is enough to feel all the history and culture of this region, a perfect combination of tradition and innovation.
