In the area of Sarteano, particularly suitable for the production of quality wines, vineyards were planted since ancient times, as evidenced by the ancient map of 1800 found by the Olivi family at the State Archives of Siena, where the vineyards were already existent.
More specifically in the area named “Le Buche” from which derives the name of our estate, it was signed a big vineyard called “Vignone”.
Currently the wine estate “Le Buche” has 27 hectares of vineyards planted since 2002 with high density (6666 plants per hectare), including 4 hectares of old vines with Trebbiano, Malvasia and Sangiovese that the family has recently purchased.
Merlot
The Merlot is a red grape variety, originating from the Gironde area in the South-West of
France, and more particularly from the Bordeaux area, from which are coming, in blends with
Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, some of the most prestigious wines in the world.
The Merlot grapes when fermented in steel, give birth to young wines of great freshness, with a good acidity and tannins, fruity and soft. When aged in barrels, the Merlot grapes can give more complex wines.
Pugnitello
Ancient indigenous variety form Tuscany, rediscovered and studied by the University of Florence. It was planted in our estate for a first time in 2005 in collaboration with the team of Professor Bandinelli.
The Pugnitello grapes give a wine with an intense red color with purple notes, good structure and soft tannins. It is interesting both for vinification in purity as well as an ingredient conferring special features to the aging of the wine.
Sangiovese
The most popular red grape in Italy, especially in Tuscany. Its name may derive from the term “Blood of Jupiter”, a reminder of the link between wine and divinity.
Sangiovese is a grape variety with medium late maturation, it has an excellent ability to adapt to different types of soils, but prefers soils with a high percentage of limestone. On this type of soils it is able to express its best and most elegant flavors as well as its best quality.
Sangiovese typical aromas are those of red and black fruits as black cherry, blackberry and plum. Among the floral aromas the most characteristic are the those of roses and violets.
The Sangiovese is normally aged in wooden containers – barrels and barriques – which confer to the wine spicy flavors as vanilla and licorice, as well as aromas of toasted, coffee and chocolate.
Cabernet Sauvignon
The Cabernet Sauvignon is a grape variety from Bordeaux originating in the areas of Medoc and Graves.
It has a great ability to adapt to a large range of climatic conditions and winemaking techniques, maintaining the characteristics of the varietal recognition and expressing at the same time those of the terroir.
It is suitable for the production of wines with intense color, rich in tannins and aromatic substances and capable of long aging. Thanks to the great structure of this variety, it can afford long maceration and aging in wood, mostly French oak, which allows it to express with the passing of time a fascinating, complex bouquet.
Cabernet Franc
Variety of French origin, originating from the Gironde and the Médoc area. The Cabernet Franc wine is less tannic compared to its brother Sauvignon and can be drunk with great satisfaction as a young wine as well. The Cabernet Franc is also suitable for ageing in oak where, however, it should remain for a shorter time.
Petit Verdot
Petit Verdot is a grape variety originating from the area of Medoc, France.
It is very demanding in terms of maturity. The wine obtained has a ruby color, intense fruit, floral and spicy aromas, characteristic for the variety are the intense, but soft and velvety tannins.
Sauvignon Blanc
This is one of the most popular white grapes in the world, with which it is possible to produce fresh white wines with a strong expression of the character of the variety.
Malvasia
It belongs to the large group of the Malvasia grapes which includes several grapes with different characteristics. What they have in common, is the fact that in the Middle Ages they were used to produce wines with similar organoleptic characteristics, as intense aroma, high residual sugar and high alcohol.
It is believed that its introduction in Italy should be attributed to the Venetians, who imported it from Greece in the thirteenth century
. The Malvasia grapes give birth to a wine with a pale yellow color, fruity, with a good acidity and slightly aromatic. It is also used for the production of Vin Santo.
Trebbiano
The variety originates from the central basin of the Mediterranean, it was firstly documented on the Italian soil in the early thirteenth century, referring in particular to the Siena area, confirming the ancient roots of the variety in this area. The wine from Trebbiano grapes has a pale yellow color and good acidity. It can achieve an interesting aromatic profile if managed properly in the vineyard and if the yields per hectare are kept low.
Verdicchio
This is a rather eclectic variety that is used to produce, usually in pureness, both fresh, ready to drink young wines as well as well structured whites, capable of remarkable longevity. The name Verdicchio derives from the color of the grapes (“verde” means green in Italian), which keep clear shades of green even when fully ripe.
Viognier
It is said that the Viognier grape was brought to the area of Cote du Rhone from Dalmatia by the Roman Emperor Probus in 218 AD. The variety prefers poor soil, dry and stony. Its bright yellow grapes produce wines with aromas of peach and apricot and a high content of alcohol, especially suitable for aging in wooden barrels.