Terre di Pisa: Bridging the coastal and continental styles of Tuscany

The sea is hardly ever in sight when wandering the hills east of Pisa, the Tuscan city which is home to the world-famous leaning tower.

The Monti Livornesi range right behind the coast forms a natural barrier, creating a more continental landscape than the proximity to the Tyrrhenian shores would suggest.

Yet, the maritime influence is evident in the gentle breezes, lush vegetation, and intense light permeating the picture-perfect ridges flanking Arno River tributaries.

Scroll down for a selection of Terre di Pisa wines

Despite housing a few historical estates, this area has long lacked a specific identity for its wines. Producers either claimed the Costa Toscana IGT to follow the coastal Super Tuscan trend, or highlighted a connection with inland Tuscany by producing Chianti.

The Terre di Pisa DOC was born to define its essence as the missing link between these two sections of the region, yielding wines that can blend the best of both worlds.

An appellation for top-shelf wines

Encompassing 19 townships in Tuscany’s Pisa province, the Terre di Pisa DOC runs about 40 kilometres along the southern bank of the Arno River, touching the metropolitan area of Florence.

Although vast, the majority of the vineyards within the appellation lie around the villages of Terricciola and Peccioli at its core, roughly halfway between Bolgheri and Chianti Classico.

A tradition renewed

Created in 2011, the appellation is rooted in a far longer tradition. Medieval abbeys and imposing renaissance villas testify the historical relevance of the area. Viticulture has always been a major driver of the local economy but the vineyard area plummeted after the abolition of sharecropping in the 1950s.

Wine production only regained traction in the early 1990s.

‘The rise of coastal Tuscany encouraged investments in this area,’ says Ginevra Venerosi Pesciolini, the president of the consorzio Terre di Pisa, and the owner of leading estate, Tenuta di Ghizzano.

‘Producers finally started overcoming prejudices about the wines of Pisa being light and simple, mostly drawing inspiration from Sassicaia and other pioneering Super Tuscans.’

While some producers embraced the Vino da Tavola – and later IGT – classification associated with Super Tuscans, others continued sticking to Chianti at least for their entry-level offerings.

The Terre di Pisa DOC was conceived specifically for upper tier wines, mandating lower maximum yields than both Chianti and the broader IGTs, and a minimum of 18 months of ageing, including 12 in oak.

But we have just passed a revision of the regulations that will limit compulsory oak ageing to the newly-introduced Riserva category,’ explains Riccardo Gabriele, director of the consorzio.

This revision aims to increase production, currently limited to around 500,000 bottles annually.

A tale of two styles

Defining the style of an appellation contemplating different grapes is always challenging yet two factors give the most successful examples a specific identity.

The first is the peculiar climate: ‘The filtering effect of the Monti Livornesi lowers humidity, mitigates heat and strengthens diurnal shifts, but the reverberating effect of the sea often results in almost coastal luminosity,’ remarks Lorenzo Serra Cervetti, co-owner of the historical Badia di Morrona estate.

The geology is unusual for Tuscany: oyster shells and other marine fossils often appear among the rows.

‘These fossils hint at the presence of limestone, which has a strong influence on the aromatic profile. But the soil composition varies notably across the valley: some parts are sandier while others are rich in clay,’ adds Pesciolini.

Thriving on the clay-rich peaks and formerly used for making Chianti, Sangiovese is emerging as the appellation’s flagship variety – the wines labelled as Terre di Pisa Sangiovese must contain at least 95% of the grape.

‘Our Sangiovese can be delicate and red-fruited or fuller and darker, but it’s neither as austere as versions from vineyards on galestro [the typical schistous clay of Central Tuscany], nor as generous as expressions from warmer areas,’ Pesciolini explains.

A distinctive saline streak marries high-pitched aromas and luscious fruit, allowing the best examples to blend varietal traits with a warming Mediterranean allure.

Sporting the Terre di Pisa Rosso appellation, the blends featuring international grapes are a bit less consistent. While some producers still lean towards excessive extraction, the best examples blend the typical concentration and balsamic aromas of coastal Super Tuscans with slightly more understated fruit and nervier acids.

Not only reds

White grapes are on the rise, too: ‘They often work well where red ones don’t’, says Adolfo Benvenuti, resident winemaker at Badia di Morrona.

Mainly focusing on Vermentino (minimum 50%), the newly established Terre di Pisa Bianco (or Terre di Pisa Vermentino) category offers a compelling range of styles, ranging from easy-drinking to complex and cellar-worthy.

All the whites, however, share the same mix of structure and energy as the reds, reflecting once again the unique combination of maritime and continental influences.

Terre di Pisa: Five producers to know

Badia di Morrona

This historical estate centered around the namesake medieval abbey pioneered quality Sangiovese production in the area by releasing VignaAlta, a benchmark single-vineyard wine since 1994.

Fattoria Fibbiano

Managing old vines and clones of Sangiovese, this 18-hectare estate produces some of the area’s most intriguing expressions of the grape.

Podere La Chiesa

Maurizio Iannantuono and Palma Tonacci left a successful career in the tech industry to found this 14-hectare boutique winery with an ultra-modern cellar. They make characterful, contemporary wines.

Tenuta di Ghizzano

The appellation’s most renowned producer, farming 20 hectares biodynamically and crafting classic wines with a ‘lo-fi’ twist.

Varramista

Overseen by renowned winemaker, Federico Staderini, and revolving around a majestic renaissance villa previously inhabited by the Piaggio and Agnelli families, this estate relies on Syrah to craft unusual and especially refined reds.

Terre di Pisa DOC: 20 wines to try

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