About Fattorie le Sorgenti

“ It’s the squirrel that picked Le Sorgenti and romps through the estate’s park and woods. Vigorous, curious and watchful, the squirrel is the guardian of the forest and a symbol of continuity. He buries part of food supply and often the nuts sprout and grow into new trees. We want to identify our estate with this little animal and his philosophy, since we are temporary guardians of the greatest asset there is: the land ”

This is how Gabriele Ferrari explains both the choice of the logo and how he feels about the wine estate that he and his family have been nurturing since 1974. Gabriele, who is a wine-producer and olive specialist personally takes care of the crops, while his wife, Elisabetta does the administrative work and devotes the rest of her time to gardening and beekeeping.

The couple is driven by a great love for and strong ties with the land, and they have transmitted this to their son Filippo with love, patience and confidence as they move towards growth and innovation.

Natural “evolution” prompted Filippo to earn a degree in enology and become involved in the estate’s business management with the assistance of a young sommelier, Cristian Giorni who has become its spokesman in Italy and the world as he dedicates himself to Fattoria Le Sorgenti’s public relations and the agritourism business.

This is a young, dynamic and forward-looking enterprise that has not lost sight of the importance of conserving nature and traditions to guarantee superior quality in both their products and hospitality offer.

The Land

“Le fleuve fait beaux les châteaux”. This old proverb from the Bordeaux vineyards is a reminder of how important the river is in the creation of a unique microclimate.

The Arno River frames “Le Sorgenti” here in the old Chianti Country just a few kilometers from the center of Florence. “L’Alberigna” estate was founded during the fourteenth century, and then it was expanded and remodeled over the centuries by those who lived there. In 1585 Alessandro d’Agostino Gerbi transformed it into a “Villa”; the Leopardi family owned it until 1885 when the “Fattoria Le Sorgenti” was created, and then the Ferrari Ricci family purchased it in 1959. The estate gets is name from three old and still gushing springs, Fonte Gaia, Fonte del Re and Fonte al Noce.. The estate covers an area of 58 hectares of which 16 are vineyards and 12 olive groves.

The vines we cultivate represent the most valuable varieties in terms of both ancient and recent Tuscan winemaking tradition. The vines have been selected and grown for making cru wines.

The estate’s vineyards - Capaccio, Torre Rossa, La Sala, Pozzo delle Fate, La Tavolina, La Terrazza, Le Sorgenti and Gli Istrici - all have their own special features and characteristics.

The grapes are tended respecting the different pedo-climatic demands of each individual year and every wine evolves through a quest for quality, typicity and excellence. It is important to point out that the vines are tended by hand, and that the management of each individual plant is carefully gauged using expertly balanced cordon and guyot training methods, in order to concentrate all the micro-climatic typicity of the terroir in the fruit.

Our farm has been converted to biodynamic farming methods.
The pre-harvest phases are characterized by meticulous monitoring, using organoleptic and chemical-physical analyses in order to determine the degree of ripeness of the fruit which, once it is ready, is picked exclusively by hand. The vineyards have good exposure, they are rich in stones and organic substances and are regulated by satisfactory temperature variations, resulting in a limited, high quality production.

CAPACCIO
Altitude: 450 Mt Above Sea Level
Exposition: North – East / South -West
Soil: sand 43% - silt 18% - clay 39%
Grape variety: Sangiovese/Merlot

TORRE ROSSA
Altitude: 200mt A.S.L.
Exposition: South – West
Soil: sand 11.7% - silt 45.3% - clay 43%
Grape variety: Sangiovese, Petit Verdot, Alicante Bouchet

LA SALA
Altitude: 150mt A.S.L.
Exposition: South – West
Soil: sand 20.8% - silt 52.8% -clay26.4%
Grape variety: Sangiovese

POZZO DELLE FATE
Altitude: 100mt A.S.L.
Exposition: North – East
Soil: sand 18.9% - silt 52.9% - clay 28.2%
Grape variety: Trebbiano, Chardonnay

LA TERRAZZA
Altitude: 100mt A.S.L.
Exposition: North – East
Soil: sand 12.5% - silt 57.2% - clay 30.3%
Grape variety: Cabernet Sauvignon

LA TAVOLINA
Altitude: 100mt A.S.L.
Exposition: North – East
Soil: sand 11% - silt 57.7% - clay 31.3%
Grape variety: Chardonnay

LE SORGENTI
Altitude: 100mt A.S.L.
Exposition: North – East
Soil: sand 11% - silt 57.7% - clay 31.3%
Grape variety: Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot

GLI ISTRICI
Grape variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Exposition: North – East
Soil: sand 11% - silt 57.7% - clay 31.3%
Grape variety: Sauvignon Blanc

Our Production:

In 1998 the estate decided to concentrate its efforts on top quality production, finding a place, year after year, alongside some of the highest expressions of winemaking in the territory and the rest of the world.

The exponential rise in quality that has taken place in recent years is the result of attentive agronomical techniques and a new awareness of winemaking and aging processes. Both in Italy and abroad, the wines produced by the Fattoria Le Sorgenti have received medals and awards in recognition of the commitment and passion of this family-run business, where every part of the production process has a name and a face.

From table wines to the great I.G.T. wines, from the Vin Santo to the Laudemio olive oil, all the fruits of our estate are cultivated with total respect for nature, expressing the potential of the terroir through the careful interpretation of the family and the people who work alongside them to create truly unique wines with a strong personality.

In addition to wine and olive oil, the estate produces honey. Elisabetta Ferrari’s passion for bees yields to natural acacia and wildflower honeys from the essences and age-old trees in our park.

Yet another source of pride is the fact that we have opened the Villa Le Sorgenti to wine-tourists and guests who simply want to enjoy Tuscan peace and quiet in a natural setting to discover goodness and beauty.

Since 2006 we have four quiet, luminous guestrooms in the old villa.

The swimming pool, terraces and gardens make even a short day more enjoyable. The days begin with freshly baked croissants and cakes and continue with poolside lunches featuring local specialties and traditional dishes with fusion accents accompanied by the estate’s own wines.

A Passion

There is a profession that ties in perfectly with a legacy as important as the land; it combines a passion for nature and a desire to express art through wine.

Filippo says, “Wine is an important means of expression, it tells about us, about our taste, and about our personality that is strongly tied to the land”. Cristian finishes the thought: “It is not just a job.
Wine is like a person with a body, mind and soul; wine lives and improves with age, above all it demands respect and knowledge”.
Similarly, Gabriele says, “Succeeding in transforming and developing nature’s gifts to the best is a moral obligation, much like guiding a child through life”, and “Body, mind and soul should tell you about a person. Wines speaks of itself through the person. It is a magic created by man for man, to manifest a joy of living and make room for that special lightness of being”.