Wines

The famous French oenologist Jacques Puisais used to say that: “Every wine is a reflection of a place. It is begotten by the soil and the air as well as man. It gives enduring fame to the life of the place and its rhythm”. These words are as close as you can get to the spirit of biodynamic agriculture and the path undertaken by the Lo Franco family, for over 40 years, with Fattoria La Vialla, their family-run farm and wine estate. A long, difficult process of conservative restoration of ancient farmsteads, which were once independent (in Tuscany “Fattoria” means a farm, wine and olive estate), has brought back to life vineyards that are often found on inaccessible ground but have great potential.

In years of planting vines, the choice of clones, of planting systems, of materials and compost have been tailored, dividing the new vineyards into small plots in order to pay greatest attention to the smallest details and nuances of the soil and microclimate.

Most of the vineyards, tended to by the “Viallini” (as our staff are affectionately called), are in Tuscany, in the Chianti hills near to Arezzo, between 300 and 600 meters a.s.l. A few others – such as Vernaccia, Vermentino and Montecucco – are outside the province; new land converted to biodynamic agriculture after years of work, tended to weekly by the Fattoria’s “flying squad”. The wines are refined and elegant, with a genuine artisan character. Each one is a limited production, the result of the season, of its soil, of good agricultural practices, of autochthonous yeasts and of maximum respect in the winery. They embody the terroir and the talent of a group of people (the Viallini!) who have dedicated the best years of their lives, and the best of their technical ability, to the land.

The growing methods and vinification follow the rules of certified organic and biodynamic agriculture (Euro-Leaf and Demeter certification). The wines’ entire production cycle is certified “carbon neutral” by NatureOffice. It’s an example of circular economy: production waste is composted together with animal manure and then returned to the soil, to give it new life and organic matter.

Fattoria La Vialla has won numerous, coveted special prizes for “best wine” and “producer of the year”, in the major European competitions (Decanter, IWSC, Berlin Wine Trophy, Mundus Vini Biofach). In 2019, incredible but true, we were named organic winery of the year 3 times. The wines are in any case good value because their price is calculated on the basis of the costs for production and ageing, without any market speculation, and also because they can only be bought directly from La Vialla, therefore there a no distributors or middlemen. In this way the quality is excellent and the price moderate.

Below you will find useful information, not only to help understand the wines themselves but also what lies behind them, the sustainable world of this pioneering Tuscan farm. To help with the choice of La Vialla’s wines, we have grouped them according to the various types, using the classic categories “Red”, “Rosé”, “White”, “Sparkling”, “Méthode Traditionnelle”, “Dessert” and “Rarities”. The sparkling wines stand out for their freshness and fruity aromas; this wine category also includes Prosecco (name that in actual fact was once given to the grapes used to make the wine of the same name).

Click here or in the main menu to access the categories and subsequently the individual wines – with photos, descriptions, labels, wine and food pairings.

180 hectares of vineyards, producing wines with Chianti D.O.C.G. (controlled and guaranteed designation of origin) and I.G.T. (typical geographical indication) denominations, and other “table wines” (or, more significantly, “Super Tuscans”), sitting on the slopes of the Pratomagno mountains, in the centre of the Colli Aretini Chianti area. Situated between 300 and 650 metres a.s.l., the soil is made up of “Galestro”, sandstone and clay together with Alberese limestone and sand, all materials that are easily eroded and give the landscape its characteristic undulating outline. More recently other Tuscan vineyards have been, adventurously, added to the Fattoria’s territory: in the Montecucco area in the Maremma, in the Vernaccia area at San Gimignano, in the Chianti area near Siena. And also a few small ones in other regions. All the new land has been meticulously converted, first to organic agriculture and then to biodynamics; some is still “under conversion”. Thanks to this important work of conversion, and the attention paid to creating a carbon neutral and closed-cycle production process, Fattoria La Vialla has received much recognition, amongst which – in Germany – the coveted B.A.U.M. award for environmental sustainability.

La Vialla’s land is extremely diversified, including woodlands, hillsides and level ground, with varying types of soil. Over the years, the geology and quality of these soils has been studied by agronomist Alceo Orsini and by the oenologists, Umberto Trombelli, Giorgio Marone and Marco Cervellera, making it possible to select and plant the most suitable autochthonous and international varieties of grapevines for each plot of land, enhancing the properties of the grapes and of the organic wines produced.

These undulating hills enjoy good light, excellent ventilation and natural rainwater drainage. The temperate climate in the area, with its good variations in temperature between day and night, also creates ideal conditions for grapes. The scenery is typical of the Chianti area, and of the nearby Chianti Classico, where the alternation of woodland, hills, cultivated land, streams, rivers and ancient eighteenth century farmhouses, creates a unique landscape – nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site – still worthy of the famous painting “Good Government” by Lorenzetti, symbol of Tuscan Renaissance “illumination”.

Prevailing southern exposure, recovery of ancient terracing, preservation of biodiversity, care of the land using biodynamic methods, improvement of soil fertility, use of autochthonous yeasts, circular, closed-cycle production systems (waste and manure are composted and reused as a natural fertilizer), biodynamic winemaking and ageing with low amounts of sulphites in the wine – these are all distinctive elements that characterise the quality of the wine produced (and the awards won

Each grapevine has its vineyard, each root its soil, each grape its own yeasts, each wine reflects the terroir from which it originates. The characteristics that all of Fattoria La Vialla’s wines have in common are genuineness, craftsmanship, typicality, elegance and authenticity.

The creation of a great biodynamic wine requires ability, experience and, a great deal of time. For example, looking back over the path of our Tuscan red I.G.T. “Casal Duro”, we return to the year 2000 when – after re-establishing the terracing of an ancient vegetable patch – in April, according to the propitious lunar calendar, we planted 6 hectares of vineyard (with Sangiovese, Cabernet and Merlot) on that steep, dark, mineral ground. Then we had to wait 4 years before we could use the first grapes to make wine. Followed by another 3 long years, to give biodynamics time to bring balance to the soil, create capillary branching of roots, make the plants strong and resilient, and, as a natural consequence, the grapes mature. Finally, after 7 years, we were able to carry out the harvest for this biodynamic wine – which rests in wooden barrels for 2 years and then another year in the bottle.

Differences in the vineyard between conventional, organic and biodynamic agriculture and how things are done at La Vialla

Fattoria La Vialla uses certified and controlled organic and biodynamic methods to cultivate its vineyards. Organic viticulture prohibits the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers, as well as limiting and regulating the use of copper. It encourages natural soil fertility through crop rotation, periodic rest of the soil, the choice of selected varieties of plants and seeds (organic seed register), green manuring and the ban on GMOs (genetically modified organisms). In general, organic agriculture requires ample space in stables for the animals, insists on the use of grazing, prohibits the use of hormones and only permits antibiotics in the actual event of illness, safeguards the dignity of life and likewise the way it ends.

This circular system also foresees the use of Biodynamic Preparations, concentrates of mature compost (also produced at the Fattoria) to be sprayed periodically on the crops; of a biodynamic compost heap and macerated plants and flowers; as well as having a lunar calendar for the main operations of cultivation. It’s a method that requires meticulous organisation and prompt intervention.

Therefore, over the years, La Vialla has equipped itself with all the necessary apparatus and efficient technology; 8 “dynamising areas”, in order to be able to spray biodynamic preparations everywhere at the same time, at the right moment and according to the lunar calendar. This practice has guided biodynamics since it began, allowing farmers to make the most of the development of each part of every plant, when it’s at the height of its vigour. In addition, compared to organic agriculture, it imposes a number of even stricter limits regarding the substances that can be used, such as copper and sulphur (7 kg of copper per hectare per year for organic rules, 4 kg in biodynamic viticulture). Biodynamics is essentially the good, wise, meticulous agriculture of our forefathers, who managed to produce healthy fruits and look after the environment for centuries without wastefulness and without chemicals.

Besides these two levels of guarantee and certification –

– there is also the quality of La Vialla’s winemaking (in collaboration with the “Fondazione Famiglia Lo Franco” for the conversion to organic and biodynamic agriculture). It consists in a series of cutting-edge activities and verification, which are the result of years of research in collaboration with the universities of Florence, Pisa and Siena, regarding various critical points

from the reduction of sulphites and copper in winemaking, to the use of a special “recipe” for compost, analyses carried out on each plot of land and each batch produced, annual verification of organic matter and other soil fertility parameters, intensification of pollination with groups of beehives placed in strategic locations, use of fertilizer made with olive fruit water and macerated olive leaves, not filtering the wines, and the choice of autochthonous yeasts.

How wine is made at Fattoria La Vialla – harvesting, vinification, ageing and bottling the wine

It takes roughly 1.5 kg of grapes to make one litre of wine. A normal 750 ml bottle contains, on average, 1.1 kg of grapes (between 4 and 7 bunches, depending on the type and weight). A vineyard begins to produce in its third year, but it only reaches maturity after 5 to 7 years. In September each year, after 12 months of diligent care, the grape harvest finally arrives. It traditionally begins on favourable days of the lunar calendar, after each vineyard has been carefully inspected and analysis of the sugar content, acidity and polyphenols in the grapes are carried out, beginning with early ripening varieties, such as Merlot, Chardonnay, Malvasia Bianca, Vermentino and Pinot Nero.

Close collaboration between the agronomist and the oenologist is fundamental for daily planning. It’s a question of organisational symbiosis; the objective is to respect the needs of each individual grape, enhancing its aromatic characteristics. At La Vialla, Alceo and Marco (respectively the agronomist and oenologist) are friends, and both “veterans”. Their harmonious alliance is beneficial for the entire team, and it’s fundamental. Experience, the good work done in the vineyards during the previous months, the choice of grapes and the season’s weather conditions do most of the rest. However, timing and ability in the winery are also important. Improvements introduced in many years of work, today make it possible for us to select, harvest and press the grapes within a few hours, without a pause, in order to optimise the delicate initial phase of winemaking.
The juice that spurts out of each grape begins to ferment immediately, as soon as it comes into contact with the air, thanks to the action of invisible allies, the yeasts. They’re fungi that live in the vineyard, on the grapes and in the winery, and are responsible for triggering the natural, primitive (and fascinating) process – in many respects uncontrollable – of fermentation. The spontaneity of fermentation heightens the quality of each biodynamic wine. Some grape musts, such as the structured reds, macerate at length (up to approximately 3 weeks) with their skins, in order to acquire as much colour and dry extract as possible; they will be aged in large wooden barrels and Barriques. Others, to be drunk young, are devatted after 7-10 days. For the red wines filtering is reduced to a minimum, and the more structured ones remain unfiltered so that during the long period of ageing they benefit from the antioxidant action of the suspended yeasts and phenolic compounds. The low level of sulphites in the wines is thanks to this expedient. The rosé wines only ferment with the grape skins for a few hours. The white grape musts, on the other hand, are separated from the skins immediately; the subsequent, final, clarification phase is carried out according to the rules of organic and biodynamic winemaking, without any chemical agents.

The process is complex for the sparkling wines too – La Vialla produces Charmat Method wines, both filtered and unfiltered, “Metodo Ancestrale” (Ancestral Method) wines and Metodo Classico wines (also known as Méthode Traditionnelle or Champenoise), which are aged between 12 and 120 months on their lees. For the red wines, especially the most important ones, the ageing process is of fundamental importance. In 2013 we built a new “Barriccaia” (= Barrique cellar) at La Vialla, semi-underground and using green building techniques, precisely with the aim of improving the quality of the ageing period in wood. The wines are aged in selected wood; in large Slavonian oak casks containing 15-25 hl, typically used for Chianti, and in Barriques, small oak barrels containing 225 litres with an elegant, spicy toasting, used for the Riserva “Tuscan I.G.T.” wines and Super Tuscans.

The wines are bottled after their ageing period and subsequent to being tasted by the oenologist. The reds, and some of the whites and sparkling wines, are bottled without filtering in order to preserve their antioxidant content so they can age for long periods and, in particular for the white wines, to enhance the bouquet. The corks are chosen from among the best suppliers, on the basis of their airtight seal and ecological footprint, and are made of natural cork from certified producers and responsibly managed forests. The size and type is chosen according the how the wine is aged in the bottle. The choice of bottles – the majority of which are light Bordeaux bottles, weighing 450 g, in recycled and recyclable glass – is made with a view to maximum sustainability.

Definitions and differences: organic wine, biodynamic wine and “La Vialla quality”

Organic wine is known for its wholesomeness: all the synthetic chemical substances used in conventional winemaking are prohibited, and the limits set for the amount of sulphites in the wine are much lower; while a conventionally produced red may reach as much as 150 mg/l, an organic one must not exceed 100 mg/l. A series of detailed rules regulate organic winemaking; later on we will take a look at the main ones.
Biodynamic wine is distinguished by the almost total absence of so-called “additions” and “winery adjustments” that, on the contrary, are so frequently used and abused in conventional wine; for the natural selection of autochthonous yeasts, for an even lower sulphite content than that found in organic wines. For example the limit set for a biodynamic red is 70 mg/l, while a conventional wine can contain as much as 150 mg/l; for biodynamic white wines the limit is 90 mg/l, while for their conventional counterparts it is as high as 200 mg/l, and 250 mg/l for dessert wines... enough to give you a headache!
“La Vialla quality”. Thanks to years of research and expertise, the sulphite content in our wines is even lower than the biodynamic limits: on average 65 mg/l for the reds, 75 mg/l for the whites, 78 mg/l for the sparkling wines, and 72 mg/l for the dessert wines. A summary of the analyses regarding the sulphites in our wines is published annually in the Handbook about our products and on the website. In the vineyards, years of tests and experiments have also made it possible to reduce the quantity of copper used to below biodynamic limits (approximately 4 kg per hectare, opposed to 7 kg in organic wine growing and no limit in conventional agriculture). Other studies, in collaboration with various Italian universities, have given excellent results regarding the recovery of autochthonous biodiversity and techniques for preserving unfiltered wines, with low sulphite levels, in the bottle.