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Soil

There’s a rhythm underground — listen.

Cold soil in the hot Tuscan sun: the vineyard breathes. The moon inhales, a song on the horizon. Everything in its right place, taking root. Exhale: all is interconnected. The beat of nature’s drum, a geological hum. Dissolving into wine, into silence.

Many years ago agriculture here was biodynamic by definition. The soil was slowly tilled with a small plough, "coltrina", dragged by a pair of oxen. Olive trees, wheat and barley were grown on the land for men; hay and vetch for oxen and rabbits.

Galestro, calcite, clay, sand, iron and quartz: San Giuseppe's has 12 different soil types that radiate around the cellar. This is the reason why the single grape variety, Sangiovese, expresses itself in so many different ways, the wine changes with the variation of the genius loci. The specificity of the soil gives a unique character to each vineyard.

Our wines come from nine vineyards covering 7 hectares

Slope exposure map

Leccio
  • Vineyard area: 1.8 ha
  • Year of planting: 1998
  • Variety: Sangiovese
  • Rootstock: 420A
  • Growing System: 2.5 x 0.8
  • Soil Texture: FL-FA
  • Average altitude: 290 m
  • Slope: 5°
  • Exposure: South
Curva
  • Vineyard area: 1.6 ha
  • Year of planting: 1998
  • Variety: Sangiovese
  • Rootstock: 420A
  • Growing System: 2.5 x 0.8
  • Soil Texture: F-FA
  • Average altitude: 260 m
  • Slope: 7°
  • Exposure: South
Sasso
  • Vineyard area: 0.4 ha
  • Year of planting: 1998
  • Variety: Sangiovese
  • Rootstock: 420A
  • Growing System: 2.5 x 0.8
  • Soil Texture: FA
  • Average altitude: 245 m
  • Slope: 8°
  • Exposure: South
Bassa
  • Vineyard area: 1 ha
  • Year of planting: 1998
  • Variety: Sangiovese
  • Rootstock: 1103P
  • Growing System: 2.5 x 0.8
  • Soil Texture: SLA
  • Average altitude: 225 m
  • Slope: 5°
  • Exposure: South West - South South West
Bosco
  • Vineyard area: 0.4 ha
  • Year of planting: 2003
  • Variety: Sangiovese
  • Rootstock: 1103P
  • Growing System: 2.5 x 0.8
  • Soil Texture: FA
  • Average altitude: 210 m
  • Slope: 4°
  • Exposure: South
Ulivo
  • Vineyard area: 1.3 ha
  • Year of planting: 2003
  • Variety: Sangiovese 0.9, allochthonous vines 0.4
  • Rootstock: 1103P
  • Growing System: 2.4 x 0.8
  • Soil Texture: AL-FA
  • Average altitude: 230 m
  • Slope: 3°
  • Exposure: South - South West
San Giuseppe
  • Vineyard area: 0.7 ha
  • Year of planting: 1992
  • Variety: Sangiovese
  • Rootstock: 1103P
  • Growing System: 3.0 x 1.0
  • Soil Texture: AL-FA
  • Average altitude: 250 m
  • Slope: 7°
  • Exposure: South - South West
Tondino
  • Vineyard area: 0.21 ha
  • Year of planting: 2019
  • Variety: Sangiovese
  • Rootstock: 1103P
  • Growing System: 2.7 x 0.9
  • Soil Texture: S-SL
  • Average altitude: 270 m
  • Slope: 2°
  • Exposure: West
Quercia
  • Vineyard area: 0.75 ha
  • Year of planting: 2019
  • Variety: Sangiovese
  • Rootstock: 1103P
  • Growing System: 2.7 x 0.9
  • Soil Texture: S-SL
  • Average altitude: 275 m
  • Slope: 5°
  • Esposizione: Sud Est

Climactic and geographic factors

Physical analytical results in biodynamic soils

A common feature of the landscape is the cold temperature of its soils. A paradox, given the eastern exposure at midday and the altitude of 350 metres above sea level.

We are comitted to act transparently and respect the relation between soil, vineyard and wine

Manifesto of Diversities

The system of wine Denominations of Origin, which has played a significant role in the definition of acceptable levels of quality and recognition for many years, has been showing concerning weaknesses for some time now.

The globalisation processes are causing considerable changes in people’s lifestyles and tastes, also in terms of their relationship with wine.

Today, due to mass consumption, the values of identity and recognition are no longer the focus of attention. They have been replaced by a broader usability that can meet the needs of large masses of consumers and that is, instead, based on trends that are cyclically created and contradicted by communication gurus. `

In the long run, frantically chasing after market moods becomes eventually unsustainable.

In viticulture, time goes by slowly and no one can change it to adapt it to supposed client preferences. Trends come and go, so that the choice of implanting vineyards that follow them will always be inadequate to the rapidity of such changes.

These insurmountable contradictions are the demonstration of how absurd the use of market laws as the sole orientation in viticulture and oenology really is.

A quality viticulture that is free of market influences, however, needs strong references that can make it capable of obtaining recognition and affirmation.

The system of denominations does not guarantee all of this because it is unable to define reliable criteria for recognition and quality.

The Zonation is an attempt to define the criteria and values that the current concept of denomination does not express. Such criteria and values are linked to the diversities and peculiarities of geology, soil, climate, and of the environment in general, including flora and fauna.

The study and in-depth investigation of such diversities would provide the true viticulturist with a great opportunity to clearly outline the character and style of the product resulting from their work.

The terroir wine conveys the feeling of personal identity: it frees human beings from the unease of their self-inflicted minority, born from the vision of a flattened and undifferentiated reality.

A reference to what Kant wrote seems appropriate: “The universal construct, thanks to its immense grandiosity, infinite diversity and beauty, leads to a silent wonder”.

We want the educated wine lover, with their attention and sensibility to such a great complexity, to be able to approach the noble feeling of wonder Kant refers to.

We, who make our wine, are more than simple producers and bottle sellers. We are (and want to be) those who contribute to the creation, cultivation and survival of this cultural landscape.