The Estate
Ten hectares of historic vineyards stretch out on the hillside of Bertinoro, in a territory that is rich in thermal waters and spring sources.
Overlooking Romagna
Tenuta del Gelso - meaning “Mulberry Estate” - gently lies along the agricultural area of Bracciano, between the sparse waterways of Vedreto and Bevano, gazing at the Adriatic Sea.
The land of Spungone
Our vineyards are nourished by the extraordinary geological and mineral qualities of the terroir - plus the vigorous sun of Romagna.
Three million years ago, these valleys were wide and rough seabeds; a slow process of clayey sedimentation gave rise to authentic submerged hills. Today, this unique landscape is marked by typical limestone and sandstone outcrops on which corals once stood out.
Due to its pale and porous appearance, this particular rock is locally called Spungone, "large sponge".
In the shadow
of the Mulberry Tree
Through its steep walkways, the Estate climbs among olive, cherry and pomegranate trees, welcoming the winemakers and their guests in a fascinating naturalistic experience.
Where the ancient route of Sodi (“untilled soils”) marks the side of Mount Maggio, there stands the Casa del Gelso (“Mulberry House”): a place of meeting and peace, flanked by its majestic guardian, a centenary black mulberry tree.
Treasures to cultivate
We are engaged in the cultivation and vinification of Sangiovese and Albana grapes, aiming to bring these iconic vines of Romagna to their best oenological expression.
Planting and topographic characteristics are very heterogeneous, from the heroic Costone (“Big Coast”) vineyard – a true piece of history of local viticulture - to the Fonti (“Sources”) vineyards - literally watered by the thermal spring of the Bevano river - up to the most recent and technological installations.
With care and respect
We are a certified organic viticulture company. Through meticulous attention to detail, we protect the health and vigor of the vine, accompanying it throughout its life cycle.
We fight diseases, infections and burns of the vine with preventive biological control techniques and natural active ingredients. We can thus reduce the seasonal treatments and perform only those strictly necessary. All operations are carried out with low volume sprayers to reduce the water impact.
The Sodi, fragile and precious
A clayey texture with calcareous surfacing: the scenario of the Sodi di Bracciano is unique, but also extremely fragile.
Thanks to a controlled non-chemical grassing program, we preserve the integrity of the soil and protect it from contamination, erosion and impoverishment. The use of latest generation tracked tractors with wide undercarriage allows us to minimise the pressure on the ground, limiting compaction and thus helping to respect porosity.
New value to tradition
During the harvest, we select the best bunches rigorously by hand and in small crates, to keep the precious properties of the fruit intact.
Our plots are also home to some of the most famous international vines, such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Grigio. We bring the typical features of these varieties to the encounter with the Bertinoro terroir, with often surprising results: wines of great character, as blends or single varietals, are produced in limited editions to respect and enhance their uniqueness.
Identity and character
A well-kept fruit cellar is at the origin of our raisin wines, among the most identifying productions of the Estate.
The fruit cellar is housed inside the Casa del Gelso, in a section of the old farmhouse that offers a favorable microclimate for grape drying.
Here we carry out a refined dehydration of white and black grapes, in a healthy and controlled environment. The use of small, specialised crates guarantees an excellent degree of hygiene and ventilation.
Quality and technology
The barrel room is set up with French oak tonneaux, in which the most evolved wines rest and age.
All the cellar rooms are equipped with advanced oenological technologies. The soft pressing of grapes allows us to extract the noblest liquids from each cultivar and the entire winemaking process is monitored and managed in every detail, from fermentation to bottling.
In a special cool and dark environment, the fine aging of our Classic Method from Albana grapes takes place.
