We have a very modern winery, all the best equipment but we have not invented anything...
We make wine in the most natural and simplest way, which does not mean that our wines are made just by themselves. We observe, control and help them to become what they are.
Natural yeast, spontaneous and slow fermentation, whole bunch, regular punching-downs... nothing magical in itself. Everything come from the winemaker's experiences in Oregon and New-Zealand and a long probation in Tuscany.
Here again, nothing new under the Tuscan sun.
We bring in the grapes that have been harvested by hand and thus, first selected in the vineyard, then a second time at the winery and there are now kept in open bins, concrete tanks and wooden vessels for several weeks to go through our "protocollo di vinificazione". And we let it go... at its own path. We leave some wholebunch, we don't add anything, we leave it there the time it needs. That's it. We don't really intervene but everyday we just say hello, look at it, smell it, touch it and make it breath gently until grapes juice became wine.
Tim Manning has always worked for small or very small wineries and when he joined Fabbrica, he has not changed his habits and he just followed his intuitions and habits.
In New-Zealand... hence the will to use screw-caps too.
In the Willammette Valley, they have used open bin since the 80's and I have been lucky enough to work closely with a famous producer of Pinot Noir and got very very inspired by his methodology, itself largely based on the Méthode Dujac and the use of wholebunch and punching-downs.
Don't think that we are trying to make a Pinot noiresque Sangiovese, our main and only focus is to sublimate the king grapes of Tuscany but let's say the truth, when Tim started to work in Tuscany in 2004, the only experience he had was Pinot noir... so if it happens to recall you of this varietal, he won't be offended.
Quote from ?? De Montille ?
C'est pas qu'on est feignant, mais s'il n'y a rien à faire, alors il faut avoir le courage de ne rien faire.
