Altura - 2019 - Ansonaco
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Altura - 2019 - Ansonaco
Ansonaco
Tuscany, Italy
The Altura project is an homage to the island of Giglio and how it tranformed Francesco Carfagna's life. For those unfamiliar with Giglio, it's a small island 10 miles off the coast of Tuscany and only accessible by water ferry. In 1987, Francesco opened a restaurant called Arcobaleno in Castello, the main town of the island. There he served what he referred to as "Vini Vivi" ("Alive Wines"). He ran it full time with his wife Gabriella until 1999, when they found some abandoned vines and terraces and set out to refinish the dry walls and rehabilitate the old vines and planting new ones on a high, granitic cliff directly above the Tyrrhenian. With a posse of friends and family, Francesco decided the time had come to bring back Ansonaco, the native grape that at one time covered this island. It's a variety of golden color with grapes of ovoidal shape. In Francesco and his daughter Irene's hands, it makes rich white wines bursting with the sea's umami. From 20-70 year old vines in granite soils, the grapes macerate during fermentation. It is then racked to barrel for aging. A small amount of sulfur is added at press. (Louis Dressner)
Ansonaco
Tuscany, Italy
The Altura project is an homage to the island of Giglio and how it tranformed Francesco Carfagna's life. For those unfamiliar with Giglio, it's a small island 10 miles off the coast of Tuscany and only accessible by water ferry. In 1987, Francesco opened a restaurant called Arcobaleno in Castello, the main town of the island. There he served what he referred to as "Vini Vivi" ("Alive Wines"). He ran it full time with his wife Gabriella until 1999, when they found some abandoned vines and terraces and set out to refinish the dry walls and rehabilitate the old vines and planting new ones on a high, granitic cliff directly above the Tyrrhenian. With a posse of friends and family, Francesco decided the time had come to bring back Ansonaco, the native grape that at one time covered this island. It's a variety of golden color with grapes of ovoidal shape. In Francesco and his daughter Irene's hands, it makes rich white wines bursting with the sea's umami. From 20-70 year old vines in granite soils, the grapes macerate during fermentation. It is then racked to barrel for aging. A small amount of sulfur is added at press. (Louis Dressner)