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 Producer:
Podere
Forte
Region: Toscana
DOC(G):
Orcia
About the Producer:
Mondavi, Gaja,
Torres... Every so often an individual of unrivalled ambition enters
the world stage and teaches his onlookers something new: Pasquale
Forte has joined that list. His $42 million investment outside the
hills
of Montalcino, matched by his methodical and genuine approach to
wine, has captured the eyes of the best winemakers in Montalcino
and is
now being whispered about in the leading Bordeaux houses. Pasquale’s
modern day Xanadu, Podere Forte, is an estate and learning institution
dedicated to the further evolution of wine. The new gravitational
flow winery is equipped with sophisticated research laboratories,
stocked with soil samples from around the globe, and destined for
greatness on the scale of such celebrated wines as Sassicaia and
Solaia. Only in its infancy, Forte’s
Super-Tuscan Guardiavigna, has already won critical acclaim, capturing
the coveted
Tre Bicchieri
award and leaving the naysayers speechless.
Guardiavigna is the name of the small tower that sits at the highest
point of the Podere Forte estate, where Gigiotto di Rocca d’Orcia,
home from the Napoleonic Wars, stood with his Arquebus musket to
guard
over the vineyards. The wine is a full bodied blend primarily of
Sangiovese, with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot grapes
from the best
south, southwestern vineyard locations in Toscana. Discover the exotic
spice Petit Verdot can achieve under the Tuscan sun.
Petrucci is
the
ancient name for the magnificent estate that is today Podere Forte.
Going back to the historical roots of the Petrucci Estate, it was
Pasqual’s intent to use 100% Sangiovese for the Petrucci label,
as it represents the best of the local indigenous varieties. The
2001
vintage was superb in Tuscany yielding grapes of great balance and
structure. Forte’s “Petrucci,” expresses the character
of Sangiovese at its purest, combined with the outstanding cellaring
potential of this vintage.
How does the son of a Calabrian peasant farmer become a scientific
genius and open the doors to a $42 million winery that is destined
to change the wines from the hillsides of Toscana? The modest producer
doesn’t say much, but those that know him will say it is his
relentless pursuit of perfection that combines perception and analysis.
Like Einstein, he is one of few capable of thriving on four hours
of sleep in pursuit of his passion.
As a mechanical engineer, Pasquale’s training is meticulous
scientific research and analysis. He has applied this approach to
winemaking; taking soil samples every 20 yards, plowing his own fields,
using biodynamic farming, testing and replanting grapes for the optimal
ripening cycle. He is a self-taught enologist and is far removed
from the glamour lifestyle of many Montalcino producers.
Forte's persistent research and principals of enology led him to
Orcia DOC, a historic hilltop village between the prestigious soils
of
Montalcino and Montepulciano. With its steep hills, dark soils, and
nearby location to the Monte Amiata Volcano, the terroir offers even
more grandeur than its neighbor. Taste and see for yourself!
Related Wines and Links: Antinori,
Ca' Marcanda, Castell'in
Villa, Castello
dei Rampolla, Cesani,
Cima, Col
d'Orcia, Felsina, Fontodi,
Fossi, Grattamacco,
Guado al Tasso, Le
Macchiole, Montevertine,
Ornellaia, Podere
Forte, Querciabella,
Sassicaia, Tua
Rita, Vignavecchia
(Beccari).
Featured Wine(s):
Podere
Forte Guardiavigna
Podere Forte Petrucci
To purchase these wines, call our Portfolio
Managers at 212.473.2323.
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