Who: Iacono Family
Enologist: Francesco Iacono
Land: 7 hectares
Where: Forio, Isola d’Ischia, Naples • Campagna - Italy
Founded: 1978
Land: 200 meters above sea level
Grapes: WHITE: Biancolella, Forastera, Uva Rilla, Viognier, Malvasia di Candia aromatica, Fiano + Greco REDS: Guarnaccia, Piedirosso, Aglianico + Sirah
Appellation: Ischia doc
Viticulture: organic practicing
Training system:
Annual Production
The winery of Pietratorcia started well over 30 years ago in Forio, on the western coast of the island of Ischia, 19 miles off the shore of Naples, through the efforts and commitment of three old farming families: the Iacono, Verde and Regine, who joint efforts together to bring back to the island the great wine making traditions, started over 2000 years ago by the Greeks and followed over the centuries by the vintners of Ischia. The families have gone their separate ways and now only the Ianono family runs the winery. Today, Pietratorcia counts over seven hectares of replanted vineyards of carefully selected native grape varietals, original from the island of Ischia and is run solely by the Iancono family. Biancolella, Forastera, Uva Rilla, San Leonardo, Fiano, Greco, Malvasia di Candia, Guarnaccia, Piedirosso and Aglianico grow in perfect exposure to produce small batches of interesting and delicious wines. With a modern facility and cellars that date back to the 18th century, Pietratocia is on its way to restoring Ischia back to its role as one of the world’s outstanding wine producers, though still remaining a simple rustic winery.
Pietratorcia is blessed with a western exposure that is nothing short of extreme in the midst of the islands microclimates. The rustic vineyard setting surrounded by robust vines, old fig trees and rosemary bushes farmed in the middle of the Tyrrhenian Sea is a breathtaking oasis, producing wines as extreme as the growing conditions. The winery is named after the large, heavy green rocks, Pietratorcia, that the natives used centuries ago, to help them in the crushing of the grapes. The wines of Pietratoria are wonderfully balanced with the right combination of minerality, fruit and earth from the rich volcanic and granite soils.
info@pietratorcia.it pietratorcia.it tech sheets
ISCHIA BIANCOLELLA DOC
GRAPE: 100% Biancolella The most famous native Ischitan wine. Biancolella on a whole, given the inaccessible places where there are vineyards, is truly a vine of Heroic Viticulture.
SOIL: Volcanic, sandy soil, consisting of detritic materials resulting from the detachment of the green tufo Epomeo. Medium and high slope with terraced vineyards. West prevailing exposure. The grapes come from terraced vineyards of Ischia and Forio, all characterized by good exposure and ventilation. The mature whitish is protected by the coolness of the altimeters of the sites that allow preserving the particular aromatic varietal characteristics electively.
TRAINING: Pergola-trained vines, organic, dry farming. Guillotine pruning. Distance between plants 100cm and between rows 130-160cm depending on the width of the terrace. Plant density of about 6000 plants per hectare. Production from 8 to 10T / Ha.
HARVEST: Hand harvested, Generally collected at the end of September, beginning of October.
VINIFICATION: Vinified stainless steel, macerated in steel tanks at 10 ° C for 12 hours to facilitate the extraction of varietal aromatic characteristics. The mass is then pressed and the must fermented in steel tanks. After fermentation, the wine is immediately shed. Finally, the product remains in steel on fine lees for at least 3 months and then filtered and bottled by the end of March.
LOOK: It is a crystalline wine, straw-yellow in color, with good consistency.
NOSE: Intense and complex (balsamic with notes of sage, thyme, oregano, tomato leaf, basil, floral with hints of jasmine, orange blossom, wildflowers and hawthorn, fruity with hints of peach yellow and white, plum and citrus fruits with hints of lemon and orange tree blossom, pineapple, almond, herbaceous, slightly spicy with hints of vanilla, broad with hints of honey, of obvious minerality); refined.
TASTE: Soft, fairly warm, dry, with an immediate but elegant flavor, not excessively fresh, balanced, full-bodied, intense, persistent with a typically almond/mineral finish, refined, ripe, harmonious. It has good longevity.
PAIRING: Perfect with seafood appetizers, pasta with seafood especially pasta with clams, seafood, crustaceans, and simple fish. Magnificent with the Caprese salad based on buffalo mozzarella.
ROSSO ISCHITANO "TIFEO"
GRAPE: 50% Guarnaccia , 50% Piedirosso
The grapes belong to the varieties Piedirosso and Guarnaccia from different areas of Forio.
SOIL: Volcanic soil
TRAINING:Pergola trained vines, organic, dry farming
HARVEST: Hand harvested, late September, beginning of October.
VINIFICATION: Vinification is not invasive and respectful of the tannic characteristics of the varieties: short maceration of the skins, racking, and fermentation at controlled temperature. The product obtained is intense, vinous, fruity, of good alcoholic strength and body ruby color.
LOOK: It is a limpid wine, with dark ruby red color, and a nice consistency.
NOSE: Intense and quite complex (vaguely balsamic with notes of tomato leaves, floral notes of violet, dried rose, and geranium, fruity with hints of black cherry, mulberry, and berries, herbaceous slightly musky, slightly woody, and certainly mineral), refined.
TASTE: Spicy-warm, dry, sapid, with evident but not aggressive tannins, good acidity, balanced, full-bodied, intense, persistent, refined, ripe, harmonious. Discreet longevity.
PAIRING: Perfect combination with first courses of the Mediterranean tradition based on vegetables, legumes, and tomatoes, with not too well structured white meat, structured sea dishes (typically stewed) cold cuts, and cheeses of poor or medium refinement with a preference for fairly fresh cheeses. Typically this is paired with rabbit (try this recipe).
TENUTA CHIGNOLE BIANCO
GRAPE: Biancolella and Forastera. The grapes come from an almost extreme viticulture area, mainly exposed to the West and historically considered to be of high quality.
SOIL: Volcanic, sandy soil, consisting of detritic materials.
TRAINING: Pergola trained vines, organic, dry farming. The grapes ripen early and assume amber color thanks to the continuous exposure of the grapes during the afternoon.
HARVEST: Hand harvested, Generally collected at the end of September, beginning of October.
LOOK. Intense yellow color
NOSE: Intensely floral and spicy
TASTE: The mouth is in line with the nose plus hints of anise that make it particularly fresh on the palate.
PAIRING: It is advisable to pair with white meat dishes, especially grilled.
VIGNE DI JANNO PIRO DOC
GRAPE: Piedirosso and Guarnaccia
SOIL: Volcanic, sandy soil, consisting of dendritic materials
TRAINING: Pergola trained vines, organic, dry farming
HARVEST: Hand harvested, late September, beginning of October.
VINIFICATION: Vinification is very soft and respectful of the tannic characteristics of the varieties: maceration of the skins for at least one week with continuous follatura (to develop aromas and tannins this must surface layer is broken by hand and pushed back towards the bottom), racking and fermentation at controlled temperature.
LOOK: Dark ruby red color, with a velvety softness.
NOSE: Spice, minerals + a touch of earth.
TASTE: Intense, vinous, spicy, and soft on the palate, with good alcoholic and body gradation.
PAIRING: It is recommended to couple with risottos and with white and red meats.
