Castello di Potentino

The wine is in the vats...

2011-10-19T16:09:00.000+02:00

And has now been bubbling away for while so while the olive nets are being repaired and things calm down, I thought I would say a few things about harvesting grapes.

As an annoying younger brother, I tend to ask questions of my sister about the whole winemaking process- this is my first full year of production so I have a lot of questions and one of them was why we do so much by hand...

So this is what Charlotte adds:
Many estates use machines to remove leaves. This is often done without observation of the particular conditions of individual plants or consideration of the weather. Forecasting what the seasons will bring is a core part of winemaking and fine-tuning in the vineyard can improve or save a harvest. Working robot-like to a standardised calendar has created many problems including the spread of fungal infections of the vines and is not kind to the vines.

This year has been a very difficult year for most of the vineyards in Italy- a cold, wet July followed by a very hot and dry August lead to grapes that in some vineyards resembled raisins rather than fresh grapes as the vines were sucking back all the water back into the plant to save themselves. Not ideal- we widely hear reports that quantities are down by more than 30%- the vine equivalent of the Great Depression...

But we have managed to avoid the raisin issue completely by leaving a lot of leaves on the vines this year providing extra cover. This wouldn't be possible if we didn't work by hand. The result is that we have actually produced the same amount as last year and we are very happy with the quality as well.

Look at these

When it comes to picking the grapes, the mechanical harvester is incredibly violent, potentially damaging to the vines and to the grapes both, which leads to wounded vines and fermentation before the grapes reach the cantina. But perhaps more important, it takes out that human element of selection- particularly important for the pinot noir where there are a lot of small secondary bunches of grapes that aren't as sweet or as ripe at harvest time- that leaves out all but the healthiest grapes.

I leave you with a clip of video of a mechanical harvest- I certainly wouldn't want to be a vine in their vineyard...

And one at Chandon in France- done alarmingly fast by hand!

Bread and Games Review of the Pop-up at Black's

2011-09-26T17:40:00.001+02:00

A wonderful review of our recent pop-up at Black's- it has me blushing....

http://breadandgames.co.uk/tag/castello-di-potentino/

Full Moon Pop-up at Potentino 11th-13th November

2011-09-19T12:24:00.000+02:00

Full Moon Pop-up at Potentino 11th-13th November

Come to the source. Meet Coco, Minerva, the vines and theolive trees. We have been going on about reproducing the Potentino atmospherein London so come and experience it in situ.

Autum at the castle - there will be chestnuts, fantasticseasonal food, music, new oil and bruschetta by the fire. Plus olive pickingand picnics in the groves. In other words, Potentino Life.

The weekend will include a tour of the estate, cantina andcastle - a visit to the etruscan wine making stones. How do we do it all? Seethe land where the wine and oil actually comes from.

Special gala show case - Davy Lyons from Wexford, Irelandhas been coming as a volunteer for a few years now and is the most talented andextraordinary singer and will be playing during the weekend. His singing is so sweet it makes peoplecry every time. He is a star.

There will be special culinary surprises and maybe a kitchendisco.

Come for the weekend or stay longer...

Booking

Please book by sending me an e-mail atpotentino.bookings@me.com

€120 per day for a shared room. €150 per day single occupancy. Meals and wine included within reason.

Full Moon gratis.

Getting to Potentino

Flights to Pisa Airport are easiest, although one can fly toRome or Florence and hire a car. We will be collecting people from Pisa at16:00 on the Friday- prices to be confirmed depending on numbers. We willco-ordinate with anyone who is interested- once we know more about how longpeople want to stay (Sunday or Monday or longer), we will try to coordinatetransport to Pisa.

We have written directions for those who wish to hire a car.

If you can't make it... but would like to buy some wine...

Charlotte's wines can be ordered from From Vineyards Direct.Please click here for the Piropo and here for the Sacromonte. Delivery is free.The Lyncurio is also now available too.

Future Dates and Other Events

To be confirmed!

Photo of Coco and Minerva by Malachi Rempenhttp://www.mmrempen.com/

Photo of Davy and sunset by Alexander Atwaterwww.alexanderatwater.co.uk

The double-edged rain

2011-06-07T14:34:00.000+02:00

It has been raining here for much of the week- a nice break from the sun and needed to help the vines grow, but in Italy it doesn't rain lightly and every rain storm brings with it the risk of hail... each sudden downpour has me fingers-crossed hoping that it isn't going to hail. The hail would rip through the vine leaves destroying everything. A few years ago the hail stones were so big that the local FIAT garage had to sell off its entire stock at a discount because the car bonnets were peppered with dents- apparently the hailstones were the size of lemons. A local bar has one in its freezer still to show the unbelieving.
E' cosi la vita Italiana...

New Zealand Herald Article about WWOOFing!

2010-10-21T14:33:00.001+02:00

A lovely article about last year's olive harvest! Charlotte the super-bitch...

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/news/article.cfm?c_id=7&objectid=10681586

http://www.qt.com.au/story/2010/10/21/pick-your-way-through-italy/

Mushroom Madness 7th November @ Frontline

2010-10-15T15:29:00.000+02:00

It has been more than a month of harvesting for Charlotte, both in the vineyard - where she has just finished picking the sangiovese, which is beautifully healthy and ripe and now bubbling away in the barrels next to the Pinot Noir that we picked in September: 2010 looks to be a good year - but also reaping some wonderful reviews in the press... the release of the 2011 wine guides has lead to a fantastic 5 stars in the Guida Espresso for the Sacromonte; we are in the inaugural Guida Slow Wine, awarded a Slow Wine rosette; and for the first time we are in Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine Book. Exhausting and exhilarating in equal measure, the olive harvest is next so that we have some delicious new oil for the November pop-up....

Lunch 1pm for 1:30pm and Dinner 7:30 for 8pm £30 a head
Wild Mushroom Soup with Borlotti Beans, Bruschetta with new oil
Roasted mushrooms with Animelle, Chestnut polenta and Ricotta
Green Salad with Secret Potentino Dressing
Schiaccia dei Morti
Coffee is included

All our ingredients will come from Italy or sourced locally in England.

If you can't make it... but would like to buy some wine...
Charlotte's wines can be ordered from From Vineyards Direct. Please click here for the Piropo and here for the Sacromonte. Delivery is free. The Lyncurio is also now available too.

Opening Hours
The bar will be open all day from 11:30am-10:30pm- any left-overs will be served.

Booking
Please book by sending me an e-mail at potentino.bookings@me.com
People will be seated together. If you would prefer to have a table to yourselves, please let me know and I will try to accommodate you.

Getting There
The Frontline Club is in 13 Norfolk Place, Paddington, W2 1QJ.
The building is on the corner of Norfolk Place and St. Michael's Street. Norfolk Place runs between Sussex Gardens and Praed Street and is just opposite the entrance to St. Mary's Hospital.
Closest Tube Station: Paddington

The Potentino Pop-up will be in the Clubroom on the 1st floor and downstairs in the Restaurant too.

All billing will be done through the Frontline Club. A discretionary 12.5% Service charge will be added to your bill.

Future Dates and Other Events
Pop-ups at Frontline (1st Sundays):
5th December
Book now if you would like to ensure a place.

Pop-up Future Dates

2010-09-21T14:47:00.000+02:00

We have two dates organised for 2010 after the October Pop-up-
Sunday 7th November and Sunday 5th December.
I hope you can make it!
Alexander

Chestnut Festival at Frontline 3rd October

2010-09-21T14:44:00.002+02:00

Charlotte, Rohan and I are back at Frontline in Paddington on Sunday 3rd October with a feast of Chestnuts and Wild Boar. The Pop-ups have been so much fun, we are hoping we can continue to do them on the first Sunday of each month.

I was in Italy last weekend for the harvest of the Pinot Noir- the grapes were wonderfully healthy. We made some delicious grape schiaccia which is made with the wine grapes and is deliciously sticky but quite savoury. I hope we can make some for the 3rd. I have added some photos at the bottom...

Lunch 1pm for 1:30pm and Dinner 7:30 for 8pm £30 a head (£25 for Vegetarians)
Quince and Amiata Chestnut Soup
Wild Boar Stew, Roasted Pumpkin and Onions with Wild Pears, Salad with Potentino Dressing
Pecorino and Mostarda
Chestnuts cooked with wild fennel
Coffee is included.

All our ingredients will come from Italy or sourced locally in England.

If you can't make it... but would like to buy some wine...
Charlotte's wines can be ordered from From Vineyards Direct. Please click here for the Piropo and here for the Sacromonte. Delivery is free. The Lyncurio is also now available too.

Opening Hours
The bar will be open all day from 11:30am-10:30pm- any left-overs will be served.

Booking
Please book by sending me an e-mail at potentino.bookings@me.com
People will be seated together. If you would prefer to have a table to yourselves, please let me know and I will try to accommodate you.

Getting There
The Frontline Club is in 13 Norfolk Place, Paddington, W2 1QJ.
The building is on the corner of Norfolk Place and St. Michael's Street. Norfolk Place runs between Sussex Gardens and Praed Street and is just opposite the entrance to St. Mary's Hospital.
Closest Tube Station: Paddington

The Potentino Pop-up will be in the Clubroom on the 1st floor and downstairs in the Restaurant too.

All billing will be done through the Frontline Club. A discretionary 12.5% Service charge will be added to your bill.

Future Dates and Other Events
Pop-ups at Frontline (1st Sundays):
7th November
5th December
Book now if you would like to ensure a place.

Backs, Feet and Etruscan Wine at Potentino 11th-17th October
Sarah Key will be in residence at Potentino 11th-17th October helping people to understand their backs and Charlotte will be making some house wine the Etruscan way.

Jack giving the grape skins a very light pressing.

Waiting for some lunch after picking the Pinot Noir

Grape Schiaccia made with some Malvasia Nera grapes

At war under Tuscan Skies

2010-08-30T13:41:00.002+02:00

A very good article about Tuscany and the slow destruction of the environment... quite terrible and very very sad...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/italy/tuscany/7955548/At-war-under-Tuscan-skies.html

Vinicide

2010-08-30T13:31:00.000+02:00

Our neighbours' vineyard has been cut down- nearly 3,000 vines cut below the graft.

Some of the local coverage shows what a blow this is- 6 years of growth destroyed in one night...

http://enoclubsiena.blogspot.com/

http://www.youtube.com/tv9telemaremma

A Summer Fish Extravaganza At Frontline 1st August!

2010-07-15T09:32:00.000+02:00

Charlotte, Cesare, Rohan and I are back at Frontline in Paddington on Sunday 1st August with a fish extravaganza- so if you aren't on holiday, come and join us! Or forward this on to a friend... We love new people...

One of our favourite dishes is Cesare's seafood pasta which we only get when he is coming straight up from Grosseto Market. Silence descends on the table as we suck the juices out of the shells and mop the plate clean of all the tomato sauce. To keep things light we are having a chilled zucchini, almond and saffron soup to start and a surprise pudding...

We have decided to cut back to one lunch sitting so that things can be a little more relaxed- and once the club is full, we will add more tables downstairs.

Lunch (1pm for 1:30) and Dinner 7:30 for 8pm
Prices dependant on the Market Price (but not more than £35)
Charlotte's Zucchini, Almond and Saffron Soup
Cesare's Seafood Extravaganza with Spaghetti, Tuscan Bread
Salad with the Secret Potentino Dressing
Surprise Pudding

Coffee and water are included.

We will have some of the new season olive oil as well.
All our ingredients will come from Italy or from Frontline's Farm in Norfolk.

If you can't make it... but would like to buy some wine...It can be ordered from From Vineyards Direct. Please click here for the Piropo and here for the Sacromonte. Delivery is free. The Lyncurio is also now available too!

Opening Hours
The bar will be open all day from 11:30am-10:30pm- any left-overs will be served.

Booking
The last events sold out, so please book by sending me an e-mail atpotentino.bookings@me.com
People will be seated together. If you would prefer to have a table to yourselves, please let me know and I will try to accommodate you.

Getting There
The Frontline Club is in 13 Norfolk Place, Paddington, W2 1QJ.
The building is on the corner of Norfolk Place and St. Michael's Street. Norfolk Place runs between Sussex Gardens and Praed Street and is just opposite the entrance to St. Mary's Hospital.
Closest Tube Station: Paddington

The Potentino Pop-up will be in the Clubroom on the 1st floor and downstairs in the Restaurant too.

All billing will be done through the Frontline Club. A discretionary 12.5% Service charge will be added to your bill.

The Barabata- the harvest festival for Cerere in Bolsena- every May.

We're back at Frontline on Sunday 6th June!

2010-05-27T20:44:00.003+02:00

Charlotte, Cesare, Rohan and I are going to be hosting our second pop-up restaurant at Frontline in Paddington on Sunday 6th June.

Charlotte and the WWOOFers are currently in the vineyard choosing the shoots on the vines that will make this year's grapes. It is amazing how vigorous the vines are and soon it will be a constant race to keep up with the growth.

Lunch (two sittings-12:00 for 12:15pm and 2:45 for 3:00pm) £25
Dinner (one sitting, 7:00 for 8pm) £25
Pappa al Pomodoro (Tomato and Tuscan bread soup)
Asparagus "Farrotto" (Spelt Risotto)
Cannelli bean and Wilted Radicchio Salad with a touch of Bottarga, Sauteed Blood Oranges with Chilli and Garlic
Sicilian Lemon Tart with Mascarpone Cream

Coffee and water are included.

We will have some of the new season olive oil as well.
All our ingredients will come from

Italy

or from Frontline's Farm in Norfolk.
If you can't make it... but would like to buy some wine...
It can be ordered from From Vineyards Direct. Please click here for the Piropo and here for the Sacromonte. Delivery is free.

Opening Hours
The bar will be open all day from 11:30am-10:30pm- any left-overs will be served.
Booking
The last event sold out, so please book by sending me an e-mail at potentino.bookings@me.comPeople will be seated together. If you would prefer to have a table to yourselves, please let me know and I will try to accommodate you.
Film Screening
Frontline will be holding a screening at 4pm of Aisheen (Still Alive in Gaza). You are more than welcome to come for lunch and then stay on for the screening and come back for an early supper afterwards! If you would like to book a ticket to the screening please click here.
Getting There
The Frontline Club is in 13 Norfolk Place, Paddington, W2 1QJ.
The building is on the corner of Norfolk Place and St. Michael's Street. Norfolk Placeruns between Sussex Gardens and Praed Street and is just opposite the entrance to St. Mary's Hospital.
Closest Tube Station: Paddington
The Potentino Pop-up will be in the Clubroom on the 1st floor.

guess who is coming to town?

2010-05-27T17:34:00.000+02:00

Having trouble viewing this email? Click here


	Your Invitation to The Week Wine Club's Summer Wine Tasting Discover the very best wines at our exclusive wine tasting.Thursday 3rd June 2010 6.30-8.30 pmThe State Apartments, Royal Hospital Chelsea, London SW3Join us at the illustrious State Apartments of the Royal Hospital Chelsea to sample many of our wines including our 2007 Rhônes, the best of Bordeaux and our fine selection of white Burgundy. On hand to offer expert insight will be the producers of some of our featured Italian and French wines.
	Tickets £10 (redeemable against your first order).BOOK TODAY— Visit www.theweekwineclub.com/events.php or call 020 7490 9904.

Pop-up Restaurant at Frontline: 25th April now confirmed

2010-04-07T20:46:00.007+02:00

Great news! Charlotte, Cesare, Rohan and I are going to be hosting our first pop-up restaurant at Frontline in Paddington on 25th April.

The idea is to create a typical Potentino lunch and dinner even if we aren't sitting under the loggia looking up at Monte Amiata with Coco and Messy playing in the courtyard or sitting by the fire in the kitchen playing Scopa...

All our ingredients will come from Monte Amiata or from Frontline's Farm in Norfolk. Since we can't be sure what will look good in the market, we have put together a few sample menus to whet your appetite.

Lunch Sitting 1-12:00 for 12:30pm ONLY 8 PLACES LEFT £20

Lunch Sitting 2- 2:30 for 3:00pm £20 NOW SOLD OUT
A plate of crostini with walnut pesto, tomato and mentuccia, garlic and olive oil

Charlotte's famous spaghetti with bottarga, zucchini and flowers

Seggiano pecorino and chestnut honey

Fresh ricotta and chestnut puree

Dinner (one sitting, 7:30 for 8pm) £20 NOW SOLD OUT

Farinata di ceci

Fabbio's Italian pork sausages in wine and Fave e foglie (broad bean puree and bitter greens sauteed with garlic and chilli)

Seggiano pecorino and chestnut honey

Cesare's Tiramisu

Coffee and water are included.

Wine can be purchased by the glass, bottle or case!

We will have some of the new season olive oil as well.

LAUNCHING THE NEW WHITE WINE
Charlotte has posted about our new and very exciting white wine- Lyncurio. This will be the very first opportunity to taste it.

Opening Hours
The bar will be open all day from 11:30am-10:30pm.

Booking
I hope that this will become a monthly event- but as this is a soft launch, we would like to get an idea of numbers so that we have one fewer thing to worry about. Please book by posting a comment below with your name and time you want to eat and number of people you will be.

Film Screening
Frontline will be holding a screening at 4pm of Live from Bethlehem. You are more than welcome to come for lunch and then stay on for the screening and come back for an early supper afterwards! If you would like to book a ticket to the screening please click here.

Getting There
The Frontline Club is in 13 Norfolk Place, Paddington, W2 1QJ.
The building is on the corner of Norfolk Place and St. Michael's Street. Norfolk Place runs between Sussex Gardens and Praed Street and is just opposite the entrance to St. Mary's Hospital.
Closest Tube Station: Paddington

The Potentino Pop-up will be in the Clubroom on the 1st floor.

Buying Potentino Wine
If you would like to have some wine delivered to your home. Please click here for the Piropo and here for the Sacromonte. Delivery is free.

Conca d'oro sulla televisione

2010-04-07T19:57:00.000+02:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7z1wORbh5E

links

2010-03-26T15:27:00.001+01:00

www.vinoalvino.org/blog/2010/03/giu-le-mani-dalla-conca-d’oro-di-seggiano-un-mega-hotel-di-fronte-al-castello-di-potentino.html

http://www.sommelier.it/archivio.asp?ID_Categoria=9&ID_Articolo=1871

http://www.vinix.it/myDocDetail.php?ID=3881&lang=ita

Invito al Convegno

2010-03-26T15:18:00.001+01:00

INVITO AL CONVEGNO

PER LA TUTELA DELLA CONCA D'ORO

CASTELLO DI POTENTINO Seggiano SABATO 3 APRILE ORE 16,00

Invito a un dibattito pubblico

“Per la tutela della Conca d'Oro”

presso il Castello di Potentino - Seggiano www.potentino.com

Con interventi di rappresentanti nazionali di Italia Nostra, del “Comitato per la Valdorcia, Amiata e Crete Senesi”, WWF, operatori economici della zona

È stata invitata l'Amministrazione Comunale e la cittadinanza interessata.

Potentino in Peril

2010-03-26T15:13:00.000+01:00

Known as the 'Golden Basin' because of its wonderful fertility, the valley between Seggiano and Montegiovi shows no signs of modern intervention. A paradise of bio-diversity dotted with mixed plots of vineyards, olive groves, orchards, vegetable gardens and chestnut woods. It is dominated by the Castello di Potentino, a national monument and a wine-making estate, owned by relatives of the writer Graham Greene. (Decanter 4 stars and Guida L'Espresso 5 bottles - top 12 wines in Tuscant 2010). Thanks to the lack of construction it has remained more or less unaltered since Medieval times and there is evidence of much earlier farming found in the Etruscan wine-making stones by the river.

Now, after centuries untouched, it is under threat - a project for a well being centre about

500m from the castle and various other connected residential structures with asphalted access.

It is sadly only one example of what appears to be a symptomatic destruction of a historic rural heritage - the Val D'Orcia famous for its classic Tuscan look used in films like the ENGLISH PATIENT is also suffering from similar concrete invasions. Montepo, another wine estate owned by the Biondi Santi family has been completely surrounded by wind towers. Basically, local councils are short of money as EU grants and certain taxes are no longer designated to them, so they are merrily giving away remunerative permissions on the only resources they have left - the unique Tuscan landscape which the tourists come for and the very image which help sell its famous wine and food abroad. A very effective auto-destruction.

"Organic" Wine

2010-03-19T18:20:00.000+01:00

I saw this fascinating post in the New York Times Freakonomics Blog last week. It seems that labelling wine organic doesn't offer the price premium that it does with other organic products.

I have always had a bug bear about farming legislation which distinguishes between organic and conventional farming. The onus and expense of certification should be reversed where organic should be the default position rather than an expensive, bureaucratic choice.

The bureaucratic burden should be placed on the farmers who wish to use pesticides and fertilisers (whether organic or not) through the purchase of licences and taxed on the use of environmentally harmful products and there should be regular checks on all farmers to make sure that they are in compliance.

I would prefer to see a list of chemicals used on the produce I buy- a list of ingredients with their relative levels.

Wine should certainly not be excluded from this as I think most people would be horrified to know what goes into some of the more industrial "wine beverages" that are available on the lists of even the finest wine merchants.

I am certain that there is a kernal of an idea here- it isn't entirely practical and I am not convinced that this would always help inform the consumers' decisions, but the fact that a chicken can be pumped full of antibiotics (not on the label), plumped with all sorts of hydrogenated fats (on the label) and we still accept a bottle of wine that tells us nearly nothing, makes me wish I could raise one eye-brow...

Charlotte will have more to say on this I am sure!

First Outing for The New Vintages and LYNCURIO's debut

2010-03-04T10:10:00.000+01:00

www.acquabuona.it

Terre di Toscana 2010 - Terza edizione. 7 e 8 marzo a Lido di Camaiore

Per finire, l’alta Maremma interna o, per riassumere in una parola, il Montecucco. Altro mondo, sebbene ci troviamo ancora in provincia di Grosseto. Le giaciture e i terreni sostanzialmente differenti, le condizioni climatiche in alcuni casi pedemontane, concorrono alla realizzazione di vini più freschi e contrastati che non quelli della Maremma classica. A Terre di Toscana saranno presenti tre campioni del territorio: Leonardo Salustri , che con l’aiuto del figlio Marco cura le vigne una a una per ricavarne dei sangiovese personalissimi e di grande energia, i Montecucco Grotte Rosse e Santa Marta. Castello di Potentino, con lo straordinario Montecucco Sacromonte, l’intrigante Piròpo (pinot nero in larga prevalenza, per ora in assemblaggio con sangiovese ed alicante), e con la nuova scommesa in bianco, chiamata Lyncurio, di cui siam certi si parlerà.

Rose Murray Brown MW - The Scotsman Magazine

2010-03-02T18:31:00.002+01:00

rosemurraybrown.com

Ruby Baby

2010-02-25T15:37:00.001+01:00

Do not see that it has anything to do with us!!! Similarities are all coincidental. Art and life reciprocate.
The woman in the play who makes wine, lives in a castle and has great danes and volunteers is clearly not me - they say she is bossy. Ergo...

Great romp and very well written and acted and directed. Well done Louisa Young and the BBC.

KEEP YOUR EYES OUT SCOTLAND FOR SCOTSMAN ARTICLE on POTENTINO

28th February by MW (master of wine) ROSE MURRAY

Short Cuts: Ruby Baby by Louisa Young- Radio Play

2010-02-25T14:59:00.001+01:00

A fantastically funny thriller set in a castle in Tuscany. Why did Ruby go missing? Was she eaten by Olivia's dog? Did she drink too much organic red wine and fall into a vat of olive oil in the night? The volunteers speculate...

The first episode of Louisa's Radio Play is on BBC Radio 7- Ruby Baby- the first episode is available to download now. The 2nd episode airs on 1st March.

Charlotte and I think it would make a fabulous film!

I wonder if we can find a photograph of the real Ruby?
xx
Alexander
PS For more of Louisa's work have a look here...

DECANTER TOP 10

2010-02-20T14:05:00.003+01:00

www.decanter.com/recommendations/subrecommendation.php?rid=655&sid=1884

The top 10

Recommendations > Ten best wines from www.fromvineyardsdirect.com > The top 10

From Vineyards Direct first opened its virtual door to the public in December 2006. Created by Esme Johnstone, co-founder of Majestic Wine, and David Campbell, who founded Guide Hachette des Vins, the online merchant offers a limited selection of exciting wines, none of them run-of-the-mill and each one hand picked for its outstanding quality and value for money. It specialises in French, Italian and Spanish wines, none of them branded names but individual wines sourced and imported direct from the grower, just as its name suggests. Its wines invariably perform well in our blind tastings, which is why we've been inpsired to to select our ten best.

Castello di Potentino, Sacromente, Montecucco Rosso 2005

100% Sangiovese from Tuscany. Lots of red cherry fruit and spice. The palate is balanced and fresh and wrapped with more ripe red fruit characters and hint of coffee on the finish.
£10.95 From Vineyards Direct (www.fromvineyardsdirect.com / 020 7490 9910)

Markus Molitor, Haus Klosterberg, Riesling, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer 2007

Beautiful varietal characters with notes of lime and apple and hint of apricot. Crisp on the palate supported by a slatey minerality and a refreshing structure.
£9.45 From Vineyards Direct (www.fromvineyardsdirect.com / 020 7490 9910)

Chateau Canuet, Margaux 1999

Nice development aromas on the nose, peppery and meaty with some dark fruit aromas. The palate still has firm tannins with secondary fruit characters and a medium length. Very enjoyable wine to drink now.
£16.95 From Vineyards Direct (www.fromvineyardsdirect.com / 020 7490 9910)

Castello di Potentino, Piropo, IGT Toscana 2005

Rounded, deep cherry fruit. Lushness to the palate, but freshness and vibrant as well, with just a nip of spice. Good length and clean.
£12.95 From Vineyards Direct (www.fromvineyardsdirect.com / 020 7490 9910)

Mas Carlot, Cuvee Tradition, Costieres de Nimes 2008

Crushed red fruits on the nose with leafy/herbal layers. Very attractive and accessible with fresh black and red berries flavours. Straightforward but has plenty going for it nonetheless.
£6.95 From Vineyards Direct (www.fromvineyardsdirect.com / 020 7490 9910)

Clos des Juilly, Saint-Veran 2006

Good expression of ripe fruits with some apple flavours and creaminess. Good complexity on the palate, easy drinking Chardonnay with solid structure and rich fruit characters on the finish.
£12.95 From Vineyards Direct (www.fromvineyardsdirect.com / 020 7490 9910)

Chateau Sainte-Marie, Reserve, Entre-Deux-Mers 2008

Compact and rounded nose with some apple and lime flavours and honeyed touches. More lean citrus fruit in the mouth fleshes out a bit on the mid-palate. Green and zesty.
£8.95 From Vineyards Direct (www.fromvineyardsdirect.com / 020 7490 9910)

Serge Mathieu, Cuvee Tradition, Pur Pinot, Blanc de Noirs Champagne

Some yeasty and bready aromas on the nose. Crisp mousse and a nice citrus precision to the flavours. Just lovely and flavoursome with lots of more-ish qualities. Definitely one of the best value Champagnes on the market.
£21.95 From Vineyards Direct (www.fromvineyardsdirect.com / 020 7490 9910)

Romain Bouchard, Domaine de la Grande Chaume, Vau de Vey, Chablis 1er Cru 2006

Pleasant and attractive charcoal tinge to the nose, with some lime and green fruit aromas. Finely composed and balanced palate with a crisp acidity and a fine minerality on the finish. Really drinking beautifully now.
£16.95 From Vineyards Direct (www.fromvineyardsdirect.com / 020 7490 9910)

Rocca di Tufo, Orvieto 2007

Lively pear and apple aromas with a hint of citrus zest. Crisp and balanced with a pretty decent weight and texture, attractive melon and pear characters on the finish.
£9.95 From Vineyards Direct (www.fromvineyardsdirect.com / 020 7490 9910)

Decanter Top 10 fromvineyardsdirect

2010-02-20T11:38:00.000+01:00

Both Piropo and Sacromonte make the list after a blind tasting.

Very pleased.

Why the silence

2010-02-20T11:29:00.003+01:00

So, you have all been very uninspired and despondent without my entries, I am sure, and wondering why. Tossing and turning all night with concern and perplexity. Well... I SET FIRE TO MYSELF.

Not out of protest. Not self immolation. But stupidity. It was very cold and my stove was not working so I decided to get it going for the doggies before getting into bed, with a sqirt of household alcohol. This, I hasten to add is a very common practice. Whoosh boom a ball of flames and the rest is hospital and bandages. A very common accident as I was told by the first aid emergency doctor.

The ambulance drivers turned out to be friends and I had a very sweet kind nurse in there with me so it was all quite funny. We hurtled down the mountain to the Grosseto general hospital which is a vast labyrinthine complex and got lost immediately. The ambulance men could not find the dermatology ward as it had been moved so we wandered around for ages. This is me asking passers-by where it was, waiting in the corridor where the men left me.

When I got back home I had to have my hair cut as it had been burnt into a strange Klaus Nomi bouffant. I am now hairstyled like Mia Farrow/Twiggy/Jean Seberg. Joan of Arc who managed to get off the stake look. This is me having my hair cut veiled so the hair does not get into the wounds. I have to keep wrapped up and must not let the sun touch my face so vampire life for a bit.

I have in the last weeks been through many classic horror characters - The Mummy, Elephant Man,
The Invisible Man.

Scenting around Potentino- The Chemistry of a Wine's Nose

2010-02-07T12:53:00.000+01:00

The wonderful Avery Gilbert has written a fascinating summary of recent research into the chemistry of the scent of wine and how wine develops in the bottle at a molecular level. I am sure that already some of the large industrial grape beverage companies are making use of this technology to fix their defective wines.

Avery's book, although not about wine, is a great read- his views on our abilities to find truffles particularly excited me- if only I wasn't so far from the ground...

fromvineyardsdirect SACROMONTE top 10 selling wines for christmas

2009-12-22T16:01:00.001+01:00

Me and the singing reindeer in Hyde Park
HAPPY XMAS
and
HAPPY POTENTINO DRINKING
thank you all for your continued support

Me on me bike with Father Xmas

Market stall fun again

2009-11-27T15:24:00.000+01:00

So - we are there again. You have another chance to get your xmas presents. Saturday Duke of York Market off the King's Rd.

Here, we did the last day of olive picking yesterday and washed the crates, brought in the ladders and the nets. Next week like fishermen of olives we will stitch up the holes in the nets and roll them up until next year.

These are the thousand year old olive trees. Rather scary to pick from, so I hope you all realise what a risky business it is getting you that delicious oil!

Market Stall

2009-11-23T19:08:00.000+01:00

This is Rohan looking very ready on Saturday morning. I gather there was a good turn out and some people turned some lolly out of their pockets. Excellent stuff chaps.

More blooming olives!!!

2009-11-23T18:49:00.000+01:00

So, more olives. Olive oil is delicious. I hope you all appreciate it. We are up the trees all the time and it is very exhausting. Beautiful weather though as usually this time of year, the cutting wind from Siberia is blowing one out of the trees. This year it is nearly tropical.

Hot from Pot - Last bunches

2009-11-23T18:36:00.001+01:00

This is the last bunch of Charlotte's little helpers with the last bunch of grapes. The Pinot Noir variety leaves a lot of 'second growth' bunches on the vines. These are not part of the main harvest as they are acerbic and grow off tributary shoots. Being rather parsimonious, I used to look at all these grapes and wonder what to do with them... raisins... chutney... preserves... a sweet wine? Guess which I choose? Well, we leave them on the vines until they are sweet and make WINE out of them funnily enough. It is usually a curious dry white amber semi-sherry which everyone imbibes happily enough. We make a bit for private consumption in the castle. Waste not want not, I say!

Hot from Pot

2009-11-18T19:11:00.000+01:00

There has been blog silence from the Castle for a while, I know you were all on tenterhooks waiting for the next installment. I got 'flu. Not swine it seems but I was laid low in bed for a few days and emerged on Monday swinging back up into the olive trees with vim and vigour (not icelandic eco-slaves). And we are picking like it is the end of the world which I gather is supposed to be ending for all surviving Aztecs in 2012. According to an unreliable sauce who wishes to remain anonymous, the aztec calendar ends in 2012 because they ran out of stones and could not be bothered to find any more since 2012 seemed a long way away as did the stones.

So in my bed, I got rather bored and grumpy so watched bits of early and surrealist cinema on youtube. I can highly recommend Hans Richter and Fernand Leger.

The dogs would not leave my side.

News

2009-11-18T18:22:00.000+01:00

Super exciting funtime for all of you in LONDON. Potentino stall with a beach umbrella at

THE DUKE OF YORK MARKET (off the KING'S ROAD) Saturday 21st and 28th of November, 10am-4pm

Tasting and especially buying is the idea. Wine and oil galore.

Rohan (our 'agent') and Alexander (my 'little brother') will be be standing at the stand all day for you.

I hope it is not raining.

Alexander is in the photo in a merry yule time mood with a false moustache so you can all get in the right frame of mind for purchasing christmas gifts from us. (moustaches on order)

Giacobazzi's Delicatessen and Osteria Emilia

2009-11-18T00:19:00.000+01:00

For those of you who live in North London, we have a few new treats in store for you- Giacobazzi's Delicatessen and Osteria Emilia on Fleet Road in Hampstead will soon be receiving their first delivery of both the Sacromonte and the Piropo. Giles Coren's review of Osteria will whet your appetite...

These jewels in the London food scene were recommended to me a number of years ago by John Owen, one of the fellow founders of the Frontline Club. Thank you very much for the recommendation!

If anyone would like to recommend us to their local restaurants and delis. do post a comment and Rohan or I will drop a sample off to them.

Duke of York's Market

2009-11-17T23:50:00.002+01:00

This coming Saturday 21st November, Rohan and I will be selling our wares at the Duke of York Square Food Market, just off the King's Road from 10 to 4- it is just next to Partridge's. Do come and join us- we are hoping for a mild day.

It should be quite an event- Katie Caldesi will be cooking up a storm as well as the regular crowd of stall owners- personally, I am looking forward to half a dozen oysters for breakfast...

News and Reviews- Guida ORO i Vini di Veronelli 2010

2009-11-11T09:23:00.003+01:00

For our 2006 vintages

PIROPO 3 stars - 90
SACROMONTE 3 stars - 90
vino eccellente

Rain stops olive picking

2009-11-09T21:58:00.002+01:00

We have had thunderous nights and soggy days. Much snow on the Amiata. Picking olives is not possible in these conditions for us as the quality of the oil is dependent on fast delivery into the press with a certain quantity. If you leave olives for too long, especially if wet, they start to ferment and go rancid. If we take 5 crates of olives in to press because rain stopped play it is too expensive and fiddly to take to the press for 6 litres of oil - for example. Quality quality quality. Sacrifices for trying to attain the best we can. We need at least two days of good dry harvesting. So - what do we do??? Start cleaning, painting and tidying up the mess in the castle after a heavy busy season..

The kitchen is the hub of life here at Potentino. Since we moved in and did the restoration it has never been touched because we were always in it, cooking, eating, warming by the fire and playing silly games or talking or singing. It needed a bit of attention as we did not notice it had got decidedly GROTTY. The spider webs were the least of the problem.

Everything was moved out. The painting podium was assembled and off we went scrubbing gently so most of the vaults did not fall down (probably 14th century) and since there was evidence of an earlier celestial blue under the filthy ocre sludge colour we had been living with, I decided to do that.

Lovely, refershing and somewhat spiritual like a Renaissance monastery library studiolo UNTIL the morning after the first coat, when I went back in and the ancient smoke damage had seeped through my heavenly blue to created a tobacco stained eau de thames diseased surface. It had to go and with the aesthetic courage of a petulant interior decorator manque' I made everyone start again. We painted it more or less the same colour it had been.

You may see the difference. It is a very happy environment once again for the meals that provide the stomachs that run the bodies that make the wine and oil that I hope you all enjoy. 'Ces' was immediately inspired to prepare a delicious mollusc and crustacean delight (crayfish).

"yumyum"- Grape Schiacchia

2009-11-03T18:39:00.001+01:00

Grape schiacchia
Cavolo Nero and white bean soup
Sausages boiled in red wine
Celariac and red onion risotto

News and Reviews- Evening Standard

2009-11-03T18:33:00.005+01:00

Always have to blow my own trumpet! But don't despair, quite soon, it will probably be an ear trumpet.

Andrew Neather in The Evening Standard:

Three top Italian wines

Andrew Neather

Castello di Potentino “Sacromonte” 2005, Montecucco Rosso (www.fromvineyardsdirect.com, £9.95. Mail order only, you can mix cases by calling 020 7490 9910/9904. Free delivery)

My friend Michelle brought me back a bottle of this deeply obscure Tuscan red from holiday; I was overjoyed to find that it is now available here from the excellent website FromVineyardsDirect.

This is made from 100 per cent sangiovese, but streets ahead of any Chianti at this price: full, rich, expressive, with a fine minerality. Lovely.

Hot From Pot- The Svinatura

2009-10-31T18:26:00.004+01:00

We have done the 'svinatura' (taking the grape skins off) for the Sangiovese and all the wine is safe in the barrels maturing. During this process we empty the barrels of the skins and give them a light pressing with a hand worked press. This is very old fashioned and time consuming but is very gentle so we only get the best juice from 'vinaccia' after racking the wine off. The skins go to the Nannoni distillery to make our grappa Riserva (aged in wood and very similar to a cognac) and a Pinot Noir grappa which is rare. Both are very smooth unlike most grappas because we hardly press the skins and they are full of wine. Some of my little helpers were very merry during this operation as you can see from the t-shirt and its occupant. Needless to say there are many fumes in the barrels that may effect their judgement and discretion if they had them to begin with.

The olive harvest continues in beautiful Autumnal beauty. Idyllic picnics on the nets under the trees. We have moved on to the olive tree indigenous to SEGGIANO called the 'olivastra seggianese'. Some of our trees are over a thousand years old. The oil is particularly delicious and has a very low acidity which is a prestige. Now, it is important to add that SEGGIANO is our local village, where many people live and work and struggle in a reality which is not a brand name. Some of these people do not know how much the olive oil from SEGGIANO is sold for in certain retail venues in London as they certain do not manage to get paid that sort of price. But this is the nature of marketing and consumerism concerning our little village SEGGIANO.

Since Messalina and Coco seem to be very popular, I have decided to include a section here called
"Doggies" for their fans. When we are harvesting they love to completely ruin all the staking and netting arrangements. Coco adores to wander around under the nets like a strange underwater phantasm while Messy tries unsuccessfully to hurdle the staked edges. You can see some of their antics.

Olive Harvest

2009-10-18T22:07:00.000+02:00

Hot from Pot

We had the first snow on the Amiata mountain this afternoon which is exceptionally early. A light flaking. Fires and chesnuts. Strange to think that only a week ago we were hot and flustered picking grapes for our neighbour down the valley. Lots of singing and hilarity at the meal afterwards. Rather ziggy zaggy returns to the castle over the river and I think someone fell in but no one can ascertain the facts.

The olive harvest has started and Lyncurio (the alchemical magical potion) and the new Piropo were decanted.

The greenest dream deep liquid has emerged from the first olive pressing like something from the Wizard of Oz's set for the Emerald City. Hard work but pleasurable rewards. Well done everyone... 29 crates maximum!!! Sooper troopers. So far 1,800 kilos of olives. Phew.

We had some tastings and lunches with charming Norwegians and Australians who are very appreciative of all. It is wonderful to see the joy that Potentino gives to people especially after a few glasses of wine.

Exciting Extra Glamourous activities - a team from the Italian La Republica magazine, "Io, Donna" (I, Woman), came to take photos of my very beautiful and graceful mother, Sally, as a tribute to her loveliness and achievement. Clothes racks and make up artists and flashing cameras all day. "Blow Up" at Potentino. Costantino Ruspoli was the David Bailey of the situation.

Tomorrow we start taking grapes off the vats and continue picking olives.

"yumyum"

food tantalisers from Potentino

oyster picnic under the olive trees and wild cyclamen as decoration
cavolo nero and chesnut sauce with short pasta, garlic and chilli
guinea fowl with white wine, black olives and juniper berries
served with a dish of polenta and porcini, and beans cooked in tomato and rosemary
farro (spelt) cooked as a risotto (farrotto) with zucchini and wild mint

Guida Espresso 2010

2009-10-09T09:14:00.000+02:00

Cesare Calvani - our administrator/cook - and I rushed up to Florence in our filthy car to the presentation of Vini d"Italia Guida dell'Espresso. I was wearing my Yves Saint Laurent wine gangster pin striped suit and my Nosferatu wine vampire t-shirt. It was packed. There was a lot of talking and then everyone scrummed for the food and wine. I got our bit of paper for the award. Here are some photos.

Vino d'Eccelenza Award Ceremony Today

2009-10-08T08:57:00.007+02:00

Charlotte and Cesare are on their way to the award ceremony as I type...

The 2010 Guida Espresso reviews are finally in for the 2006 wines- We were in the top twelve wines in Tuscany.

Sacromonte 2006- 5/5 bottles 18.5

austero ed elegante nello sviluppo dei profumi, di humus e sottobosco, macchia mediterranea, ha grande carattere gustativo, centro bocca ritmato, armoniso, finale di grande energia e profondita'
An austere nose: an elegant evolution of humus and undergrowth, Mediterranean macchia. With great flavour, rhythmic central mouth, a harmonious finale of great energy and depth.

Piropo 2006 - 4/5 bottles 16.5
profumi da pinot nero maturo (viola, lampone, cuoio) buona dolcezza e sapidita' al palato, bel carattere, finale lungo con leggero esubero alcolico.
A bouquet of ripe pinot noir (violet, raspberries, leather); a fine sweetness and flavour on the palate, a beautiful personality; a lingering finish with a slight alcoholic exuberance.

They weren't easy to translate! But my mouth is watering now...

How the Guida Espresso chooses its wines.

2009-10-07T21:01:00.003+02:00

Today, Charlotte found this wonderful insight into how the Guida Espresso chooses its wines, how the scores work and how many wines actually get tasted- I was astonished!

I was particularly fascinated by the fact that they leave the wines open overnight to see if a wine has been "made up".

I am sure Charlotte will write about the nafarious practices in wine-making once the harvest has been done and things have calmed down, but it is good to see that the critics try to spot it!

2009-10-04T17:40:00.002+02:00

Sunday, 4th October, 2009

"Hot from Pot"

This week we finished the Alicante harvest. Then we bottled 2007 Sacromonte, about 14,000 bottles. Then there was the cleaning up the Castle project - weeding clipping and strimming of the terraces. Olive tree work - pruning unwanted growth as we are getting ready for the harvest which starts after the grapes are all in. Then we had a lunch and wine tasting with Boris Fantechi's biking gang who were absolutely delightful and very cool in their hard core leathers which belied their sweet natures. Vroom, vroom. The red Ducati really big one was prime.

Now, after we put the grapes into the fermenting vats, it is not all over... a lot more goes on: we have to do "pump overs" and 'delestage' work. Basically, during the fermentation (yeast naturally present on the grape skins turning the natural sugars present in the grapes into alcohol - when that has happened the wine is 'dry' with no residual sugars) the bubbling pushes all the skins to the top of the barrel and you need to 'bathe' them, circulating the liquid wine over the thick, hard cap of skins. This extracts colour, flavour and tannins. The cap of skins wil also stay alive and not turn to vinegar. In my funny little vision of wine-making, I think wine is 'alive' and must be allowed to exchange and transform. This is one of the reasons why we ferment in a natural material - WOOD - oak from Allier in Provence, France. Most producers ferment these days in stainless steel, which is inert and does not breathe. In WOOD, there is an exchange between the oak, the wine and oxygen. I hasten to add we use large vats not barriques. 5,000 litres instead of 250. The 5,000 vat size allows for a slow exchange which has a thorough effect on the structure of the wine instead of a quick superficial spread of flavouring which the barrique can afford if so used.

The "delestage" technique involves racking all the fermenting liquid off the barrel until the hard cap of grapeskins falls to the bottom of the conical vat. It breaks up and we then pump all the wine back over it.

Next post I will describe the 'svinatura' when we take the skins off the wine, which go off to make A QUITE DRINKABLE grappa.

Tomorrow, we start the main Sangiovese harvest. Two days left. It is a great joy for me to be able harvest at the beginning of October again. When I started making wine nearly 20 years ago in the Morellino area (closer to the coast near Scansano), we always picked about the 10th of October. The weather conditions have altered so considerably that the norm is often the second or third week of September. Being under the Amiata mountain makes a great difference as we have an influx of cold air all summer and I think this suits the Sangiovese grape better. Later, in the winter, I will be polemical about forced viticulture but am too busy making wine at the moment to rant. So don't hold your breath.

"Yumyum"

Potentino recipes of the Week

Roast Mountain Pears (a bit like green potatoes) with Lots of Garlic, Roast Pumpkin, Roast Yams and served with a young Pecorino (local sheep's cheese) and Potentino Chutney (made from the green leftovers of the vegetable garden three years ago)

Broccoli Rab (Cime di Rape) and Anchovy sautee'd with garlic and Pepperoncino (red chili peppers)
with a short pasta.

Pesto with raw zucchini (courgettes) blanched almonds, wild penny mint, fresh marojoram, fresh parsley, garlic and extra virgin olive oil and spaghetti.

Pumpkin, chesnut and wild fennel risotto - made specially for Ashley's 24th birthday.

Thought for the Day

"Man's greatness comes from knowing he is wretched: a tree does not know it is wretched.

Thus it is wretched to know one is wretched but there is a greatness in knowing one is wretched."

Pascal

"Hot from Pot" Harvesting

2009-09-28T16:43:00.004+02:00

Not a dull momento here at Pot. We have taken the grapes skins off the Pinot Noir after fermentation, the 'Piropo' 2009 vat. It is now 'dry' wine and has a deep purple red hue. You want to dive into the velvety colour and disappear into its rich oblivions if you peer into the expanse of the vat.

We have taken the 'white' off its sediment. It is becoming paler and is sweetest twilight pinkling with a twinge of amber dawn. The bouquet is a divine secret. You will have to wait until February. It is to be called "Lyncurio" as suggested by that great mandarin of gemmology and pyrotechnics - Ben Gaskell of Gaskell Quartz. This is a mysterious stone which has magical properties , related to Jacinth or perhaps an amber, and much associated with Bacchus. I quote from Ovid's Metamorphosis

Vine-wreathed Bacchus
Received from conquered India, a gift
Of lynxes, beasts whose urine, so men say,
Changes to stones, congealing in air.

We have bottled "Piropo" 2007 and harvested the Alicante and some of the Sangiovese that was about to get a bit shrivelly. Very clean and promises well. Acidity and so on is good. The weather is still hot with lovely Autumn chill at night and the chestnuts from the mountain will be ready any day now. We have started lighting the fires.

We are hoping to bottle the rest of the 2007 early this week but due to bucreaucratic bungling in the miasma of the Grosseto agricultural institutions we have to wait another week for the tasting commission to pass the wine as D.O.C . Luckily the weather is holding out so we are going to do 12 hour sessions of bottling at the last minute in order to empty the vats for the rest of the harvest. Touch and go. It is infuriating but typical - the structures that should serve the producer serve only the structure at the expense of the product.

I have included in photo fun something we ate. I will expand this into our food section called "Yumyum" and will write up the formulas. More news later.

Thought for the day

"A shut mouth catches no flies."
Marlene Dietrich in Von Sternberg's
THE DEVIL IS A WOMAN

The Finest Wines of Tuscany and Central Italy by Nicolas Belfrage

2009-09-23T22:53:00.004+02:00

Nicolas Belfrage, a loyal supporter of Potentino from the very beginning, has included us in his new book about the finest wines in Central Italy- a great compliment.

I have just ordered a copy from Amazon.co.uk- you can get a taste (of the book, not the wine, unfortunately) from the Look Inside function too- the bete noir for me as publisher, but great for me as customer...

NEWS & REVIEWS-2010 edition of GUIDA Espresso Sacromonte 2006 awarded 5/5 bottles VINO D'Eccellenza

2009-09-22T17:05:00.007+02:00

2010 edition of GUIDA Espresso
Sacromonte 2006 awarded 5/5 bottles
VINO D'Eccellenza

We have taken on a new wine distributor in the UK and Ireland -From Vineyards Direct- who has very kindly agreed to give special promotional terms to our friends.

From Vineyards Direct are offering the wines at the very reasonable prices of:
Sacromonte 2005 £9.95 a bottle/ £119.40 a case
Piropo 2005 - £12.95 a bottle/ £155.40 a case

For orders of 3 cases or more of our wines :-
Sacromonte - £9.45 a bottle/£113.40 a case
Piropo - £12.45 a bottle/£149.40 a case

Delivery is included in the above prices - if you wish to take advantage of these prices for these larger orders please let either ourselves or let FromVineyardsDirect know at service@fromvineyardsdirect.com - otherwise please place your orders directly with www.fromvineyardsdirect.com

In the 2009 Guida Espresso they said:
2005 Sacromonte 16.5/20.
'strong, robust, energetic'

2005 Piropo 17.5/20
'kaleidoscopic, fresh, aromatic"

In association with Simon Hoggart, The Spectator and From Vineyards Direct we are happy to announce that SACROMONTE 2005 is in The Wine Club Offer of The Month in this month's issue of THE SPECTATOR.

&

Joanna Simon writes
2005 Castello di Potentino, Sacromonte, Montecucco Rosso
This is a dark, velvety, sangiovese with succulent sweet fruit and supple oak. Very definitely sangiovese, but not the dry, astringent school of Tuscan sangiovese or the jammy new world style. It carries its 14.5% abv effortlessly and is perfect for drinking now, but has plenty of life in it. Montecucco is a relatively new DOC in the province of Grosseto in the south of Tuscany between Montalcino and Scansano. Castello di Potentino is owned by Graham C Greene and the wine is made by Charlotte Horton.
£9.95, From Vineyards Direct
http://www.joannasimon.com/

Photo fun Pinot Harvest

2009-09-22T15:14:00.009+02:00

Hot from Pot

2009-09-22T15:00:00.003+02:00

Charlotte Horton was born in Chelsea, London, in 1963. She took her degree in Literature and then worked for Vogue magazine, Secker and Warburg, the publishing house, and then as a free lance journalist. In 1988, she became active in Italy.

Her family has owned and restored property in the Province of Grosseto for over 40 years, including two of the area's most important architectural monuments, the Castello di Montepo and currently, the Castello di Potentino. Her activities have consisted of wine, food and olive oil production, restoration, event organizing, cultural promotion and such like. She has been making wine for 18 years.

The Castello di Potentino is situated in the Grosseto area, on the slopes of the Monte Amiata near Seggiano. The foundations of the Castle date from Etruscan times and the main structure is Renaissance. The estate is made up of 4 hectares of D.O.C Montecucco vineyards and about 500 ancient olive trees, the Olivastra Seggianese variety, indigenous to the area. The estate received five out of five stars in The Guida Espresso 2007, and our out of five in Decanter 2004. Last year Potentino was awarded a star for originality and continuity of quality from the Guida Espresso (along with estates such as Biondi Santi, Col D'Orcia, Querciabella) and five out of five stars again this year for the Sacromonte Sangiovese.

"Hot from Pot"

The Pinot Noir is happily bubbling in the vats. The bunches were splendid and firm. Sugar readings confirmed an alcohol content of about 13.5-14 so we picked. I had a heroic team, too many to mention, but you were all fantastic. Thanks.

I like to put proficient people in difficult corners. They usually perform better and so one may at least begin the arduous approach towards excellence as an escape. Obviously, this principle must apply to 'moi aussi' otherwise I would be a tyrannical hypocrite (silence at the back there, please). So, the great challenge for this year was to make a 'white' wine from the Pinot Noir (red grape.).

Quite honestly, I never really believed in the value of making a white in Tuscany because the environmental conditions are generally not right. However, here at the Castello di Potentino, we have a very particular micro- climate. Low - 380m, protected basin valley, right under the highest mountain in Tuscany, touch of sea air, ex volcano etc. etc .

After observation of the happiness of the Pinot Noir I planted here, I realised that the minerality of the soil (volcanic and therefore geologically new and bursting with energy) plus the nocturnal incursions of cold air at night, were influent enough to POSSIBLY... MAKE A GOOD WHITE WINE. So... we did.

Now, this involved a great deal of squishing and bucketing and finger crossing and new refrigeration plants with instruction manuals (which I have an inbuilt aversion to reading). You can see some of this going on in the photos so I am not giving away too many secrets about what we did because I can't really remember anymore anyway. However, I am sure it will be very good or not. What I can tell you is that we dumped all the grape skins (red) from the 'whitish' wine fermentation into the pinot noir 'Piropo' mix which is a super idea as it will make it even better. It might stain your clothes more if you slop it around too much before getting it into your mouth though, so make sure it gets in.

ps The moon was full so it should all be ok

Next episode soon. Taking the grapes skins out of the barrel from the Pinot Noir. Harvesting the Sangiovese and Alicante.

Thought for the day

'Without obsession, there is no excellence.'

Pu Song Ling, China