Artenova, Impruneta celebrates 10 years of business collaboration with Agricola Arrighi, Island of Elba.
2021/11/16 amphora wine / ansonica 100% / artenova terrecotte / azienda Agricola Arrighi / island of chios / island of Elba / marine wine / quality wines / terracotta amphorae / wine experimentation
Together at the Artenova workshop: Leonardo Parisi (left) with Andrea Parisi and Antonio Arrighi
On November 23rd, Azienda Agricola Arrighi from Porto Azzurro, Elba and Artenova Terrecotte from Impruneta will celebrate 10 years of business collaboration. For the occasion, Antonio Arrighi with Leonardo and Andrea Parisi have organised a technical wine tasting event, exclusively for experts (on invitation), at the Artenova workshop. In 1990, Antonio Arrighi the owner of Azienda Agricola Arrighi, took up wine making with such great enthusiasm that over the years, his production has gone from two hectares of vineyard to 8 hectares. In 2010 he began experimenting with his first terracotta amphora from Impruneta.“We were looking for a container that had the same characteristics of micro-oxygenation as wood, but which, unlike wood, did not transfer anything to the wine,” says Antonio. “So we came to the amphora, reviving an ancient tradition which also features in the history of the Island of Elba”.
The list of wines selected to celebrate the 10 years of business relationship between Azienda Arrighi and Artenova, features 3 Arrighi wines, including a preview of the 2019 vintage of Nesos and as an added bonus, to enhance the experience with Amphora Wine, another 3 superb wines from Italy, France and Portugal: Asprinio di Aversa DOC – Tenuta Fontana, Cuvèe Jarre Malbec – Chateaux de Piote, Amphora 2020 Alentejo DOC – Herdade Do Rocim presented by Francesco Bartoletti, Oenologist and Artenova’s technical consultant.
Here is the complete list:
Nesos 2019 – Marine wine – Azienda Arrighi
Valerius 2020 – Toscana Bianco IGT – Azienda Arrighi
Tresse 2018 – Toscana Rosso IGT – Azienda Arrighi
Alberata 2019 – Asprinio di Aversa DOC – Tenuta Fontana
Cuvèe Jarre Malbec – Chateaux de Piote – France (second photo )
Amphora 2020 – Alentejo DOC – Herdade Do Rocim-Portugal (first photo)
One of the first wines made by Arrighi using Impruneta jars, is Tresse (in the photo on the left), a
“cru” made of Sangiovese, Syrah and Sagrantino grapes; it evolves in amphora for 18 months and continues aging in the bottle for a further 6 months. The oenologist of the Elban winery describes it as having: “Power and long persistence. The nose impresses us with the fruit, its varietal intact, without the overlaying of spices it would have if it were aged in barrique due to the toasting of the ” Valerius 2020″ is a white wine made with 100% Ansonica grapes native of the Island of Elba and vinified in amphora. It is named after Valerius, an Ancient Roman owner of Villa Delle Grotte, a Domus discovered by archaeologists at San Giovanni in the Portoferraio area, only a few kilometres away from the Arrighi estate.
Perhaps the most anticipated wine on the list is Nesos, a “marine wine”, fruit of one of the most unique oenological experiments in the world. The clusters of white Ansonica grapes, are placed in wicker baskets and immersed for a few days in the sea in order to dissolve the waxy bloom from the skins. This accelerates the next phase of drying in the sun and so preserves their aroma. They are then fermented and left to rest in amphora, on the skins for 6 months. The passion and enthusiasm for historical experimentation has produced an exciting result, an aromatic and very natural wine, similar to one produced 2500 years ago on the Greek island of Chios where the documented technique came from. The similar climatic and territorial conditions of Elba and Chios made it possible to obtain this great result. An explanatory short film was produced for Nesos called Vinum Insulae by Stefano Muti.
The Nesos data sheet:
Grape variety:
Ansonica 100%
Vintage: 2019
Hand picked in small boxes, then placed in small, bell-shaped wicker baskets, immersed in the sea
and subsequently dried on racks
Plant density:
5,000 plants per hectare on terraces
200 bottles
The grapes are immersed in the sea for 5 days, then dried in the sun, fermented and left to rest in amphora, on the skins, for 6 months. Shining golden colour. The nose is pervaded by intoxicating aromas of honey with rosemary and acacia flowers, in a brackish context. Then candied ginger, cedar, lemon balm, barley sweets, resin and sealing wax. On the first sip, softness and flavour are equally present, but after that the gustatory persistence is marked by freshness. Juicy and tasty, it leaves a hint of aromatic herbs that blend with traces of oyster.
