Castiglion Fiorentino

Toscana

Owner: Marco Tanganelli

Viticulture: Natural

Hidden on the outskirts of Castiglion Fiorentino, in the eastern corner of Tuscany is the tiny farm of Marco Tanganelli.  Marco is first and foremost an agriculturalist, garnering a regional reputation as the best source of advice when it comes to tending vines.  Carlo Tanganelli, Marco's father, established an agricultural nursery over 40 years ago to preserve and propagate the local grape, olive, and orchard varieties.  The Tanganelli family always made wine, mostly for themselves and locals but didn't start to bottle and sell their wine until the late 90's. 

Today Marco farms some 5 hectares of incredibly old Trebbiano, Malvasia and Sangiovese vines, with some new plantings being made in the past few years on some high-altitude terraces far above the village.  Marco's wines are made in the mold of the old-school Tuscan peasant style wines, yet they show the care and skill of a true craftsman.  Natural fermentations, long elevage and zero or minimal sulphur are paramount methods of Tanganelli. 

Two of the white wines, Anatrino and Anatraso both come from one incredibly old vineyard that is about 3 hectares in size.  It is believed, both by Marco and the University of Siena, that these are the oldest parcels of Trebbiano and Malvasia in Tuscany; many vines are nearly 110 years old, and the entire plot has never been touched by chemicals or pesticides...a rare find anywhere in Tuscany or Italy for that matter.