Maremma winery of the month: Le Mortelle

MaremmaBlog is glad to launch a new monthly feature dedicated to presenting the best wineries in southern Tuscany!

We begin this initiative by visiting Le Mortelle winery, owned by the Antinori family from Florence, boasting the oldest family business on Earth. In fact, they have been in the wine business for 600 years!

Le Mortelle was added to the Antinori winery collection in 1999 when the family bought the estate with the belief that the Maremma area, which was still emerging on the Italian wine scene, was highly suited for producing quality wines.

The winery was built in what was a large, historic farming complex that had already been identified on maps by Leopold II in the mid-1800s. It is located in the hilly countryside, 9 km from Castiglione della Pescaia.

The Le Mortelle farm, named after a wild myrtle that grows locally (mortella), spreads out across 270 hectares, of which 160 are planted with grape vines, primarily cabernet sauvignon and sangiovese, along with more recent cultivation of vermentino, ansonica and viognier. It also features 15 hectares of orchards cultivated with organic farming methods and two artificial lakes.

A new building was constructed on top of a hill overlooking the estate. This is where all the various phases of wine production take place: from receiving the grapes to vinification; to storing and ageing the wines in barriques on the basement level.

The new design cellar was built using green techniques and different natural materials to minimize the environmental impact: most of it is underground and takes advantage of the thermoregulation provided by rocks; the water used during various processes is routed back into the environment using a natural cycle of phytoremediation, and the energy which has to be acquired comes from renewable sources of production.

Apart from the wine production, the Antinori have preserved the historical functions of this farm by maintaining the production and direct sales of organic fruit from its orchard (peaches, plums, apricots, pears and blueberries).

Wines produced in Le Mortelle:

BOTROSECCO: Cabernet sauvignon and a small amount of cabernet franc, well-balanced and intriguing, as straightforward as the land where it was born.
VIVIA: Vermentino, viognier, and ansonica. Vermentino and ansonica are varietals typical of the Tuscan coastal zones. Viognier was chosen and planted after years of patient experimentation.
POGGIO ALLE NANE: Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. The new “CRU” of Le Mortelle is a wine of great complexity. The aromas range from tobacco, chocolate, and licorice to notes of plums and dried fruit.