The Lady of Brunello of Tenute Silvio Nardi With Her Expressions of Sangiovese
At a young age of twenty in 1985, Emilia Nardi, the youngest daughter of the eight children of the then 77-year old Silvio Nardi, entered her father's thriving winery in Montalcino. The job was to be a distraction that a concerned father gave to her heartbroken daughter who just came out of a relationship. Here, she learned all the ropes of running a winery for ten years as she fell in love with it, until her father passed away in 1995 and took on the role of Managing Director of the company. She has excelled in her work that in 2003, she was awarded the title of De@ Terra for her innovative contributions in the agricultural sector. Years later, in 2018, she was asked to speak at the UN Headquarters in New York in the context of "The Voice of Rural Women for a Sustainable and Healthy Future". A year later, the Confagricoltura Donna Toscana was established and Emilia was given the role of president which allows her to work on a subject dear to her, encouraging businesswomen in the agro-food sector. In the years that Emilia worked at her father's winery from the young age of twenty, she developed the knowledge and dedication in creating wines that embody the essence of the complexity of soils, exposure and other climatic factors to which the right clones respond to, that embody the uniqueness of Montalcino in the bottle.
“I want my wines to express the essence of every vineyard in that unique area of Tuscany known as Montalcino” - Emilia Nardi
The Beginning of Tenute Silvio Nardi
In the year 1950, Silvio Nardi, owner of a farming equipment company in Umbria, purchased Casale del Bosco in Montalcino, an unknown country village that was seeing slow recovery suffered from the Second World War. It was a struggling moment for Montalcino and the rural economy was based primarily on cereals but Silvio understood the potential of viticulture in the land. Thus, he joined the small number of historical viticultural entrepeneurs of the land such as Biondi Santi and Colombini. His first vintage was 1954 and he was among the first six companies of the appellation to bottle Brunello. The company grew and he acquired new collaborators. In 1962, he expanded by buying the 40-hectare estate of Manachiara near Castelnuovo dell'Abate. Expansion by the Nardi family continued as he acquired the Castello di Bibbiano near Casale del Bosco in 1970.
Twenty years later, in 1990, they began the extensive zonation study of their land, a project of renowned agronomist and winemaker Andrea Paoletti that was focused on identifying the best sites and exposures and which terroir would best represent their qualities into the wines. At the same time, following meticulous sampling of the soils at various depths, the vineyards were sub-divided into 36 parcels and 50 sub-parcels, each distinctive for its climate and soil profile. This enormous scientific project has established what the estates are today with the 80 hectares of vineyards identified with 8 macro parcels and 5 Sangiovese clones that were officially registered with the Ministry of Agricultural Policies. In addition to this, in 1996, Yves Glories a renowned oenology professor, begins as consultant to the winery and introduced the phenolic ripeness measurement program.
Brunello di Montalcino
The introduction
of the DOC (Denomination of Origin Controlled) quality appellation in
1963 established a high quality standard of wines produced within a
specified region, defined with stringent cultivation and vinification
rules. Soon after, Brunello di Montalcino was given the designation
in 1966 making it one of the eight most important wines in Italy. In
1967, the Consortium of Brunello di Montalcino was established by twelve
wine producers of the area which includes Silvio Nardi. In 1980, Brunello di Montalcino became the first wine to be designated a DOCG (Denomination of Origin Controlled and Guaranteed), the most superior wine designation in Italy.
Casale del Bosco and Manachiara: The Two Crus of Tenute Silvio Nardi
Tenute Silvio Nardi has two extraordinary wine estates in the Brunello di Montalcino denomination, the Casale del Bosco and Manachiara, located on separate slopes that are nearly opposite from each other with eight macro vineyards, overlooking the breathtaking beauty of the Val d'Orcia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Both estates are surrounded by dense Mediterranean scrub and by the iconic holm oak trees of Montalcino. The woods in many cases form the boundaries of the vineyards, thus creating small ecological units, “much like the clos of Burgundy,” explains Emilia Nardi, “but in our case the oak copses and dense scrub are our stone walls.”
The Casale del Bosco hosts the residence that dates back to the 17th century, surrounded by the family hunting preserve, rising in the farthest outpost of the denomination. Tenute Silvio Nardi is the only wine producer in this particular location, making it a particularly individual zone in the denomination. It has five macro vineyard parcels, where elevation, exposure, and soils are quite varied - mostly rocky, and the climate generally cooler. The Cerralti vineyard is the highest point on the property, with soils that are characterized by jasper, sand, and clay, giving elegance to the wine. The Sassi vineyard, which marks the extreme northwest of the denomination overlooking the Ombrone river, which, together with two other streams, the Asso and the Orcia, help in giving the wine an intriguing complexity. The dark, volcanic-derived soils of the Oria vineyard add a dash of considerable refinement. A separate five-hectare parcel of Oria yielded, in 2005, the Brunello Poggio Doria cru. Completing the vineyard roster at Casale del Bosco are the Casale and Grancia vineyards, which produce wines of great balance and delicacy.
Manachiara is on the denomination's southeastern slope whose
clay-rich soils and warmest climate make it particularly prized,
contributing to the Brunello’s structure and power. This estate is
located in the area where the denomination's most historic founding
member producers of the consortium have parcels of land too. Manachiara
means clear morning, which attests to the light that the vines receive
from daybreak. This property has three macro parcels: Colombaiolo, has soil made of sand, clay, and silt, and is the warmest on the entire estate, fiving power to the wines. The conch-shaped Pinzale vineyard is oriented towrads the southnorthern part while the third, Manachiara,
the jewel of the company, is cultivated with the estate’s oldest
clones. It is comprised of 10 hectares at an altitude ranging from 325
to 450 meters asl, enjoying an optimal climate for Sangiovese—warm, but
breeze-cooled and with significant diurnal temperature range, while the
soils are composed of earthy sandstone ranging from grey to red, with
abundant pebble and clay mixture with excellent permeability and
drainage.
The two estates clearly mirror the identities of the objectives of the precision viticultural practices of the company. The invaluable knowledge imparted by winemaking experts such as Andrea Paoletti, Yves Glories, and Eric Boissenot, has culminated the maximum expressions that the territory can provide. With a mosaic of diverse personalities, the vineyards yielded three different expressions of Sangiovese: Brunello Tenute Silvio Nardi, a blend of more than 50 single-vineyard fermentations sourced from both estates, succeeds in showcasing the individual personalities of each terroir. The two crus: Manachiara and Poggio Doria, exhibit beautifully the separate personalities of the two different slopes, the first with its great structure and fruity character with a velvety texture, while the latter, Poggio Doria, a more refined and aristocratic expression of Sangiovese, stands out for its complexity, velvety tannins, succulent finish. These three wines, each with its own individualistic characteristics, convey what Tenute Silvio Nardi is all about.
The style that the family has always desired is to display an authentic expression of the unique personalities of the land they are cultivated in. This extends to the essentiality of the winemaking philosophy, from the choice of barrels for maturation, tonneaux and large oval barrels for the Brunello and the cru wines.
Pairing of Tenute Silvio Nardi Wines with the Dishes of Acquolina Restaurant of Rome
The pairing of the kitchen of a Roman
Michelin-starred seafood restaurant with the red wines of Tenute Silvio
Nardi is an intriguing choice for the palate and perhaps a challenge to
its young Executive Chef, Daniele Lippi. But being a seasoned chef
and having formed his culinary training for 9 years at another
Michelin-starred restaurant in Rome, Il Convivio Troiani and various
experiences at the top of starred European culinary sphere: with Yannick
Alléno of the Pavillion Ledoyen in Paris; with Enrico Crippa of Piazza
Duomo in Alba; with Grant Achat of Alinea Restaurant in Chicago; and
with Paolo Casagrande at Martin Bersategui's Lasarte in Barcelona,
Daniele was well-prepared in creating seafood dishes that paralleled the
complexity of Sangiovese.
Tenute Silvio Nardi Chianti Colli Senesi DOCG 2020
Produced
from 85% Sangiovese grosso and 15% Merlot cultivated from various
vineyards in Montalcino with west exposure, and soil composition of
jasper and shale at 250 meters asl. Maceration for 15 days at controlled
temperature control then aged steel tanks for 12 months followed by
bottle ageing. Ruby red color with highlights of purple, intense
fruitiness in the nose with spices, youthful and pleasant smooth wine
with underlined red fruits, velvety tannins and good acidity, paired
with the a plate of Slices of Raw Beef with Oysters, Wild Strawberries
and Mustard.
Tenute Silvio Nardi Rosso di Montalcino DOC 2020
Obtained from 100% Sangiovese grapes cultivated in various vineyards in Montalcino with northwest exposure with soil composition of marl and marly-sandy formations at 300 meters asl. Total destemming followed by fermentation and maceration for at least 18 days at a controlled temperature. Aged in new and used wooden barrels of various sizes for 6 months followed by bottle ageing. Full ruby red in color with an intense nose of mature red berries, dark-stoned fruits, eucalyptus and sweet red spices while at the palate it gives roundness, warm mature dark fruits, fine-grained tannins and long finish.
Tenute Silvio Nardi Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2016
Obtained from 100% Sangiovese grapes cultivated in various vineyards in Montalcino with northwest - southeast exposure with soil composition of jasper and shale at approximately 350 meters asl. Maceration for at least 28 days, according to parcels, at a controlled temperature. Aged in used French oak tonneaux and big Salvonian oak barrels for 24 months followed by bottle ageing of at least 12 months. In the glass, it presents a ruby red color with highlights of garnet. It has an intense and complex nose rich in evolved tones of red and dark fruits, sweet spices and toasted notes while in the mouth it rewards a rich wine with smoothness, widely distributed concentration of flavors, fine-grained tannins and a persistent finish. An elegant and harmonious wine that was paired with a dish of Tortello with Squash, Star Anise and Black Truffles.
Tenute Silvio Nardi Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2017
Same technical details as above. Ruby red color with highlights of garnet. It has an intense and complex nose rich in concentrated preserved dark fruits, star anise and cinnamon while in the mouth it gives a concentrated richness of preserved to cooked dark fruits, smoothness, plush tannins and a persistent and supple finish.
Tenute Silvio Nardi Brunello di Montalcino DOCG Vigneto Manachiara 2015
Obtained from 100% Sangiovese grapes cultivated in the Manachiara vineyard located in Montalcino with southeast exposure, and soil composition rich in quartz and Pliocene clay at approximately 350 meters asl. Maceration for 32 days at a controlled temperature. Aged in French oak tonneaux for 18 months, followed by Slavonian big oak barrels for 16 months then bottle ageing for at least 16 months. Full ruby red color with highlights of garnet, an intense and ample complexity in the nose of evolved dark stone fruits, dried spices, eucalyptus, and layers of toasted notes while in the mouth it generates ample concentration of flavors of preserved to cooked dark fruits, balsamic notes, good acidity, velvety tannins and a pleasant fine lingering finish. Paired with Fillet of Cod with Smoked Potato Foam and Black Tea.
Tenute Silvio Nardi Brunello di Montalcino DOCG Riserva Vigneto Poggio Doria 2012
Obtained from 100% Sangiovese grapes cultivated in the Poggio Doria vineyard located in the northwest side of Montalcino in the Casale del Bosco estate. South, west and northwest exposure, and soil composition rich in jasper, sand and clay at approximately 260 meters asl. Maceration for 26 days at a controlled temperature. Aged in new and used French oak tonneaux for 18 months, followed by Slavonian big oak barrels for 12 months then bottle ageing for at least 24months. Full ruby red color with highlights of garnet, an intense and ample complexity in the nose of evolved dark stone fruits, dried mushrooms, dried tobacco, forest floor and crushed stone while in the mouth it generates concentrated flavors of evolved dark fruits, plush tannins and long persistence.
Tenute Silvio Nardi
Località Casale del Bosco
53024 Montalcino (SI), Italy
Tel: +39 0577 808269
Website: https://www.tenutenardi.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tenutenardi