A London Award for the enfants terribles of winemaking

The first Vinitaly event with glasses from the kitchen cupboards, is a fond memory for the Ferraris. Betta, a biologist with a penchant for gardening and a mission - running the estate, and Gabriele a lawyer dedicated to the vineyards and olive groves started from nothing and reached the zeniths of the wine guides: from the AIS Duemila Vini to Gambero Rosso to I Vini d’Italia 2010 published by L’Espresso which gave them an excellent rating this year.

The turnaround came thanks to Filippo Ferrari their son and enologist, the enfant terrible of Italian winemaking who was able to move beyond the grid and conventions and come out in front in two of the world’s most prestigious competitions: the Decanter World Wine Awards, organized by the magazine Decanter, and the International Wine Challenge.

On what has become a standardized market, the Fattoria delle Sorgenti wines are capable of astounding. They are innovative and yet they respect the grapes; the wines are the fruit of hard work in the vineyards rather than exasperated creativity in the cellars. They are elegant wines, yes, but the terroir is still the master with its untamed scents of hints of humus and nature.

This is evident starting from the white Sghiràs, a blend of Chardonnay and Sauvignon grapes with unexpected body and power for a Tuscan wine, and a fresh mineral base note that gives it additional years of life. And there is the array of reds, from the Respiro Chianti dei Colli Fiorentini to the top of the line, a super-Tuscan Scirus that is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

At the end of Via Docciola at Vallina, a hamlet near Bagno a Ripoli, just outside Florence there is a miniature château de charme that, with its four suites, has become an international hub for foreign tourists and buyers lured by the jeep wine tours.
From the left: Cristian Giorni and enologist Filippo Ferrari