Valturio 2011

Valturio IGT is a Sangiovese with an intense ruby color, expertly produced in the Marche, which boasts a prestigious medieval and Renaissance history. The winemaking tradition of this region dates back to the Middle Ages. Valturio pays homage to the history of this territory with its important name, which it proudly carries high. It is dedicated to Roberto Valturio, a Renaissance intellectual and author of “De Re Militari,” the first illustrated book printed in the West. Completed in 1472, it received recognition and appreciation from Leonardo da Vinci himself. Its value is celebrated on the label with the reproduction of a war machine, inextricably linking it to this land and its ancient glories. Reviving this tradition has been a successful venture by Valturio’s Azienda Agricola Valturio, built on ancient terraced vineyards arranged in an amphitheater. A true mountain viticulture, bush vines are trained across various plots of land with varying exposures, at altitudes of 450 meters above sea level, in the Montefeltro region. They are cultivated on a small plot of land at the crossroads of different regions: Marche, Tuscany, Romagna, and the Republic of San Marino. Its vineyards grow in a rugged area, full of ravines and terraces, with steep and precipitous sections, with gradients of up to 40%. The clayey and sandy soils, with a deep limestone base, contrast with the typically Mediterranean climate, with hot summers and mild winters, creating an ideal growing environment. Among these well-ventilated hills, relatively young vines have been successfully planted in recent years; the first plantings date back to 2003 and are made from various Sangiovese clones. All the work in the vineyard is done strictly by hand according to tradition. After the grapes are hand-picked and subsequently soft-pressed, the resulting must ferments on the skins in temperature-controlled steel vats. Through the fermentation process, the grape’s true qualities are released, and the wine acquires greater balance, persistence, body, and finer aromas. In the ancient cellar of Palazzo Volturio, which has remained miraculously intact over the centuries, its maturation takes place, for 12 months, in French wooden barriques which contribute to the refined spicy notes and its full-bodied and soft flavour.