CACCIAGRANDE

When I was twenty-two, my father, Massimo, asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. There was university and a passion for literature, and there was the family-owned estate, the result of a long and arduous process of land reorganization and an authentic passion for agriculture. Not without some fear, but with the enthusiasm of someone preparing to realize their dream, I decided to go further; I decided I would not settle for being a producer of grapes and olives, but would create a wine of my own—my own brand. Thus, in 1997, Cacciagrande was born, a part of me.

Today, Cacciagrande extends over approximately 40 hectares, of which 20 are cultivated with vineyards and 5 with olive groves, in the heart of the Tuscan Maremma, 10 km from the medieval seaside village of Castiglione della Pescaia.

Alongside the ancient Tuscan viticultural tradition represented by Sangiovese and Vermentino grapes, I have oriented the vineyards toward experimentation and innovation. This follows both my personal inclinations and those of our terroir, which is very similar to that of Bolgheri, famous worldwide for its "Super Tuscans".

Hence the choice to create two innovative projects of my own, around Viognier on whites (in the early 2000s we were among the pioneers of this grape variety in Tuscany) and Petit Verdot on reds (which is still a rare offering when used purely as a wine). These projects have given us great satisfaction and praise from critics and the public over time, up to the point of obtaining the Excellence award (5 bottles) for the 2012 Castiglione in the L’Espresso Guide to Italian Wines.

The great viticultural vocation of the Maremma territory, the hot and dry microclimate, the selection of the best clones, and long macerations at controlled temperatures do the rest. These factors contribute to the production of wines with great character, elegance, freshness and absolute quality, which have been award-winners in all the most important italian wine guides.

Over the years, we have constantly worked to increase both the quantity and quality of production through commitment and investments in material and human resources. Our family-run management allows us to adopt particularly rigorous care and attention in both agronomic management and winemaking processes, always maintaining a focus on sustainability, as I believe a great product is achieved first and foremost by respecting the land. To this end, we have equipped the estate with solar photovoltaic and thermal systems to be self-sufficient using almost exclusively renewable energy.

Inside every bottle of our wines there is me, my family and all the collaborators and consultants who have understood and shared our philosophy.

“When I am in the vineyards, I feel like I am in a garden...I think the great fortune of my job is this: Enhancing nature's resources by deriving wealth from them and returning beauty to them."

Bruno Tuccio

VERMENTINO – DOC Maremma Toscana white

Grapes quantity: Vermentino 100%. Annual production: about 20000 bottles. Steeping: in stainless steel on peels at very low temperature (0-5 C°) for about 24 hours. Alcoholic fermentation: in stainless steel at controlled temperature (15-18 C°) for 20 days. Maturation: on noble sediments 4 months. Refi­nement: 1 month minimum in bottle

ORGANOLEPTIC CHARACTERISTICS: Colour: yellow straw-coloured. Flavour: Intense with fruits notes like apple, citrus, and aromatic erbs. Taste: ­Fine and fresh, persistent on its fruity notes. Must be served at the temperature of 7-10° C.

VIOGNIER – DOC Maremma Toscana white

Grapes quantity: Viognier 100%. Annual production: about 20000 bottles. Steeping: in stainless steel on peels at very low temperature (0-5 C°) for about 24 hours. Alcoholic fermentation: in stainless steel at controlled temperature (15-18 C°) for 20 days. Maturation: on noble sediments 4 months. Refi­nement: 1 month minimum in bottle

ORGANOLEPTIC CHARACTERISTICS: Colour: yellow straw-coloured. Flavour: Very intense with tropical fruits notes like pineapple,banana.  Taste: ­Fine and elegant, persistent on its fruity notes. Must be served at the temperature of 7-10° C.

ROSA’H – DOC Maremma Toscana Rosé

Grapes quantity: Syrah 100%. Annual production: about 15000 bottles. Steeping: in stainless steel on peels at very low temperature (0-5 C°) for about 2 hours. Alcoholic fermentation: in stainless steel at controlled temperature (15-18 C°) for 20 days. Maturation: on noble sediments 4 months. Refi­nement: 1 month minimum in bottle

ORGANOLEPTIC CHARACTERISTICS: Colour: Pale and bright pink. Flavour: Delicate and elegant strawberry, wild strawberry, and hints of pomegranate and pink grapefruit. Taste: Fresh and elegant, persistent on its fruity notes. Must be served at the temperature of 7-10° C.

CACCIAGRANDE  – DOC Maremma Toscana red

Grapes quantity: Sangiovese 50%  Cabernet S. 25% and Merlot 25%. Annual production: about 50000 bottles. Alcoholic fermentation: in stainless steel at controlled temperature (about 25° C) 20 days. Maturation: on noble sediments for 4 months. Refi­nement: about 2 months in bottle.

ORGANOLEPTIC CHARACTERISTICS: Colour: ruby red rich with purple refl­exes. Flavour: intense and fresh with red fruits notes like sour black cherry, cherry, gooseberry. Taste: Fine and elegant, persistent on its red fruits notes, fresh and rich of tannins. Must be served at the temperature of 16-18° C.

CORTIGLIANO – DOC Maremma Toscana Syrah

Grapes quantity: Syrah 100%. Medium annual production: about 30000 bottles. Alcoholic fermentation: in stainless steel at controlled temperature (about 25° C) 25-30 days. Malolactic fermentation and maturation: barriques (225 lt.) in French oak from Allier medium toasted, about 3-4 months. Re­finement: about 3 - 4 months in bottle.

ORGANOLEPTIC CHARACTERISTICS: Colour: rich and deep ruby red. Flavour: intense and elegant with red fruits, jam and black pepper notes. Taste: Fine and elegant, persistent on its fruity notes and rich of smooth and encircling tannins. Must be served at the temperature of 16-18° C.

CASTIGLIONE – DOC Maremma Toscana Petit Verdot

Grapes quantity: 100% Petit Verdot. Medium annual production: about 10000 bottles. Alcoholic fermentation: in stainless steel at controlled temperature (25°c) 30 days. Malolactic fermentation and maturation: barriques (225 lt.) and tonneaux (300 lt.) in french oak from allier medium toasted, 12-14 months. Re­finement: about 6 months in bottle

ORGANOLEPTIC CHARACTERISTICS: Colour: Very deep ruby red. Flavour: intense and elegant with black fruit, liquirish, black pepper and delicate balsamic notes. Taste: Very powerfull, ­fine and elegant, persistent on its toasted notes and rich of smooth and encircling tannins. Must be served at the temperature of 16-18°c.