Castelvecchio is an up-and-coming winery in San Pancrazio, in the locality of San Casciano in Val di Pesa, within the Chianti DOCG and only a mere 200 meters from the border of the Chianti Classico denomination. Castelvecchio has 73 hectares, of which 30 are vineyards.
In their vineyards, the estate combines plantings of local autochthonous varieties, such as sangiovese and canaiolo nero, with Bordeaux varieties like merlot, cabernet sauvignon and petit verdot. Most of the vineyards have been planted on hillsides with special attention given to which variety is planted in what exposure. White varieties such as trebbiano and malvasia, as well as canaiolo and merlot, are planted on the north-facing slopes to protect them from the sun.
In this video, owner Filippo Rocchi explains the philosophy of work at Castelvecchio and the characteristics of the vineyard. For Filippo and renown enologist Luca D'Attoma, the breadth of their work is done in the vineyard. The idea is that by the time the grapes arrive to the cellar, the quality is already outstanding. Filippo and Luca are also very careful in the cellar, using wood sensibly and intervening as little as possible.
Watch the video to learn more about one of Tuscany's up-and-coming producers.
-JGAL