Focara Pinot Noir, Fattoria Mancini

Producer

The Mancini family have made wine here for five generations, and current owner Luigi Mancini’s fascination is with more unusual grape varieties: either the Pinot Noir brought to this particular part of the northern Marches by the French two hundred years ago, or local treasures like Ancellotta and Albanella. In clay-limestone soil, with temperatures moderated by the Adriatic, these varieties thrive alongside the more mainstream Sangiovese and Montepulciano.

Vineyard

The soil of calcareous sandstone and cool microclimate along this elevated section of the Adriatic coast has proven to be ideal for the cultivation of Pinot Noir. The vineyards are situated one kilometre from the coast at an altitude of 100-150 metres above sea level. New clones came into production in 2007, and have elevated Mancini’s Pinot Noir to another level of depth and elegance. Grapes were hand-harvested into 15kg baskets, and immediately placed in a mobile cooling cellar for transport to the winery.

Winery

After a night of cooling, the grapes were destemmed. Cold maceration lasted for approximately a week, and fermentation took place in tank with a combination of délestage, pumping over and punch downs for around fifteen days. Malolactic fermentation was carried out in barrel. The wine spent twelve months on lees in French oak barrels (thirty percent new), with monthly stirring.