At Torre a Cenaia the wind is at home, the air is always moving and gives life to everything, even a soul to the cypress and oak trees, fields and vineyards; it sweeps the sky making it blue with drawn high white clouds grazing slowly on the horizon as it happens in the best “on the road” movies.
On this valley sheltered by the Pisan mountains and the hills of Livorno, a green corridor between the sea and the plain of Florence, the wind works incessantly and our vineyards know this very well…they receive the best benefits. When it blows from the west, most of the time, the air is buzzy and salty, the lungs seem to swell and the vine leaves glow in sharper reflexes: it is the time when the sea is spreading inland. If you feel the smell of salt and sun in the air, even in winter you can bring to your mind the summer.
The terroir in Torre a Cenaia, suited to viticulture since the time when the estate was owned by the noble Florentine family of Pitti, is perfect for the grape Vermentino because of its unique geographical position: the sea breezes, there channeled by the natural barrier of the Pisan Mountains, destroy the typical humidity of the inland and create an ideal microclimate, mild and with a good thermal excursion, corroborating the effect of a soil tending to silty, rich in skeleton and minerals.
The Vermentino is in fact a “coastal” vine that comes from the sea and through it reached the areas where today is at its best. Originally probably Aegean, like the mythical Pelasgians, it reached our shores in ancient times, perhaps led by the first Greek settlers. Contrary to popular belief, Sardinia was not the first Italian region that hosted it at first but it was Liguria, a region with very steep coasts, rare pieces of land clinging to the rock overlooking the sea which were the ideal place for the first engraftment on Italian soil, supported also by the work of tireless people at the same time of sea and land as only the Ligurian can be. From there, by sea, Vermentino reached Sardinia and Tuscany and, centuries later, also came from the coast in our valleys.
Its big bunches with cylindrical-pyramidal shape are now part of the DNA of our estate and paint with gold the vines during the ripening period, when the big round berries, thick-skinned, stand out against the deep green of vine leaves.
And it is just in the days when the salty breeze comes from the Tyrrhenian sea from west that it is felt the only important truth of this land, the inner meaning of the work of all generations that here have alternated over the centuries. It ‘s the beauty contained in the smells and flavors concentrated in a special wine, we are lucky to be here and be able to enjoy everything: the wine is the poetry of the earth, and that’s what we try to convey to you, striving to imprison all this Beauty in a “simple” bottle.
It is thanks to great work and attention to wine-making processes, from the management of the vineyards in the 30 hectares dedicated of the estate, to the patient conduct of the cellar of Roshan Abenaim under the direction of the renowned winemaker Ms Graziana Grassini, “pink pride” of Italian wine and curator of major labels such as Sassicaia; every action is conducted with meticulous zeal and the meticulous passion that naturally arises when you understand to be in front of the great things.
The practice of late harvesting, between the second and third week of September, gives the Cenaja Vermentino a good balance between acidity and aromas, and a partial aging in oak barrels gives it an important structure, floral aromas and a fresh, velvety and enveloping taste. This is the essence of Torre a Cenaia, the soul of our land that hides in itself the secrets of the nearby sea and tells of distant lands but also nearby; this wine reminds us of the trips we have traveled over thousands of years to get here, and slyly suggests that the horizons are more open than they seem.
Here’s how the green hills of Pisa and Livorno can witness the arrival of the sea into dry land, and we can savor the emotions whenever we want. We just have to grab the right bottle, hold a corkscrew and capture the scents…as soon as the Vermentino will be free from the oppression of the cork, the sea breeze will return to open us wide breath. The Cenaja Vermentino has obtained the IGP designation and is made of 100% Vermentino grapes.
The harvest takes place between the second and third week of September; vinification requires destemming and cold maceration, fermentation at controlled temperatures in stainless steel tanks for approximately 20-30 days, and finally, aging on the lees for 3 months. It is aged for 90% in vitrified cement tanks and for the remaining 10% in oak barrels for 12 months; then it rests in the bottle for another eight months. It has a bright straw yellow color with strong greenish reflections, a very intense and persistent bouquet with marked floral notes, fine and elegant. The taste is fresh, fruity, velvety, enveloping; it is full-bodied, smooth and balanced. The alcohol content is 13 degrees
