April 23, 2019 |
Newsletters |
Raffaldini Vineyards
An Update from Jay Raffaldini
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An Update from Jay Raffaldini
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Greetings All -
I hope this email finds everyone and their families happy and healthy. With warmer weather upon us and the vineyard in full swing I would like to use this opportunity to update you on some exciting developments at Raffaldini.
Firstly, some of you may have already noticed two new street signs have appeared, one on the newly paved Groce Road, half way up before the turn into Raffaldini and the other immediately after the stone entrance gates. These are signs to alert visitors that this is Black Rooster Territory. Black Rooster translates from the Italian as Gallo Nero and is used to mark the boundaries of the Chianti region in Tuscany and the Black Rooster appears on all wines designated as Chianti Classico. As we produce Sangiovese (the grape used to make Chianti), and we are frequently referred to as Chianti in the Carolinas, I thought it fitting that we designate our own area.
Not many people know the story behind the Black Rooster. As legend has it for centuries the ruling families of Florence and Siena were at war and one day the patriarchs agreed it was time to end the fighting and permanently agree to a boundary line. Their method chosen was classically Tuscan – at first rooster crow in the morning each family would send off their fastest horse from their city center (frequently a church) and wherever the riders met on the road between the cities would be the boundary. The ruling Florentine family had a Black Rooster who they starved and kept in a dark box for days while the Sienese had a White Rooster and was endlessly pampered and lazy. On the day of the race the Black Rooster sang much sooner than usual given his extreme hunger and this gave the Florentine rider a huge head start. As the border is much closer to Siena (meaning more land for the Florentines) the Black Rooster is a centuries old source of irritation for one family and joy for the other. Happily for both, the area around the border happens to be Chianti which is home to the greatest Sangiovese wine made in the world. Such is the wonderful nature of life in Italy.
I am also pleased to announce the arrival of our eight new large custom made oval and round oak bottis (each the equivalent of eleven standard oak barrels), all handmade by the famous Gamba Cooperage in Asti, Italy. They join the three existing bottis we purchased last year. These bottis will last for half a century and add a beautiful structural element to our red wines. In addition we are furthering our commitment to fermenting in oak (rather than stainless steel) and have received another four oak fermenters from Gamba to complement the two onsite now. I simply love oak fermented wines, for their depth and complexity are second to none. This year we will even ferment our Vermentino in oak for the first time. I believe this very significant investment in large oak vessels will allow Raffaldini to push the quality envelop even further in our attempt to make the best wines we possibly can.
A Presto!
Jay
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