Fattoria Carpineta Fontalpino
The Estate
"The Carpineta Fontalpino farm has been owned by the Cresti family since the 1960s and traces of the company’s wine tradition have been found since the early 1800s. The farm is located in the heart of Tuscany, very close to the splendid Siena in the historic town of Castelnuovo Berardenga. It rises at the foot of the Montaperti hill, the scene of the mythical battle between Siena and Florence that took place in the distant 4 September 1260.
Dante Alighieri talks about it in his Divine Comedy “The agony and the great massacre that made the Arbia colored in red” and the Sienese remember it with pride that they still remember the victory (perhaps the only one) over their rival Florence. “We have the honour and privilege of living in it, and we try to keep its beauty, landscape and traditions unchanged. We conduct the company, working intense- ly, with the awareness that the work of the earth offers those who dedicate themselves to it, great and unique satisfactions. We are proud to belong to this territory so generous that it never ceases to surprise.”
- Gioia, Filippo and Sara Cresti.
The Wine
The estate covers approximately 90 hectares, 29 of which are specialised vineyards. Sangiovese (90%), Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot (10%) grapes are the basis of the wines.
The production areas are internal to the areas of the historic Chianti Classico and to that of the Chianti Colli Senesi. The soils are composed of mixed clayey sands, with a good stony skeleton and lie at an altitude between 230 and 380 meters. s.l.m. The exposure and the different geographical positions of our vine- yards is superb and reflects the quality and the different peculiarities of our products.
The vineyards have a variable density per hectare and range from 3000 plants / Ha to a maximum of 6600 plants / Ha. The vineyards are spurred by cordon and simple Guyot. This allows the company to produce high quality production performances. The bottled product is always the result of the best Company selection.
“Why did we choose the Biological way?
The earth is a wonderful planet, which requires a lot of care and attention. We need small gestures and a lot of sensitivity, to pre- serve it. Today, many years after the beginning, we have managed to standardise procedures and interventions and much has become simpler, manageable and finally satisfying. We only treat our land with natural products: copper, sulfur, clay, algae and we see that the fertility processes are much more present and active. Near the company vineyards, we have allowed the installation of some beehives and the result in general terms was simply extraordinary: everything seems to flourish with greater vigor, everything seems to have a new vegetative harmony, in an environment richer in life in every shape.”
- Gioia Cresti, Co-Founder