Tenuta La Novella srl
(Winery in Chianti, Chianti Classico)
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1 Hour 30 Minutes
Participants: Minimum 1, Maximum 8
About Winery and Wines
Perched at an altitude of 500 meters, Tenuta la Novella is located in the heart of Tuscany, between Florence and Siena, in the Chianti Classico appellation.
This vast 188-hectare estate, abandoned for years, regained its lost splendor in 1996 when François Schneider, fascinated by the place’s beauty, decided to restore this magnificent residence.
The richness of the biodiversity surrounding the vineyards, and the authenticity of the terroir, convinced François to adopt the organic farming right from the very beginning.
Since 2015 Simone Zemella has been working on the evolution of the estate, developing biodynamic farming, planting massal selection Sangiovese, and preferring low intervention wines that reflect our altitude terroir
In 2009, the first biodynamic practices were introduced; in 2018 we joined the SIVCB (Syndicat International des Vignerons en Culture Biodynamique).
Our Values:
- Biodynamic farming
- Manual Harvest
- Spontaneous fermentations
- Moderate extraction
- No/Low oak ageing
- Low Sulfites (< 60mg/L)
The 13.5 hectares of vineyards are located between 350 and 650 meters above sea level, and are laid out in a mosaic of fifteen parcels planted on the best terroirs of the estate, on the mythical Tuscan hills. On these schist and sandstone soils (rocks), the Sangiovese and Syrah grapes find ideal pedo-climatic conditions to express themselves in all their complexity. The altitude and the difference in temperature between day and night allow for a slow and balanced maturation. Canaiolo, as well as Trebbiano, Malvasia, Moscato and Viognier are grown in smaller proportions. The high planting density (from 5500 to 7000 vines/ha) allows the roots to explore the soil in depth, producing rich grapes, a direct expression of the terroir.
The grapes are harvested entirely by hand, in several stages, so that only the grapes that have reached optimum maturity are picked. In the cellar, the grapes undergo a second selection to ensure impeccable sanitary conditions, which is fundamental to producing quality wines. Fermentation takes place spontaneously by the yeasts and bacteria naturally present on the grapes. The wines obtained are matured in large barrels, which are made of cement, steel, wood (barrels) or in stoneware jars, in order to fully express their potential. The lunar cycles mark the racking and bottling dates.
Our wines:
Chianti Classico DOCG - 100% Sangiovese
Chianti Classico DOCG Riserva - 100% Sangiovese
Fonte Domini - 100% Syrah from a massal selection from the Ermitage zone (CDR)
Terra Nosa - 90% Viognier, 10% Sangiovese
Vin Santo 1998
Grappa di Chianti Classico 2016