Vineyards Magazine

A single hectare of Sangiovese wedged between vine-rows and patches of woods, planted in whitish soil so distinctive as to give its name to both the cru and the entire winery. “Vigna Terrabianca” is, in fact, the name of the Chianti Classico Gran Selezione produced by Arillo in Terrabianca, the at-once youthful and historic wine estate in Chianti Classico that now expanded into the Maremma and Val d’Orcia as well.

Arillo in Terrabianca was founded in 2019 by Urs and Adriana Burkard. In the growing area of Chianti Classico, more precisely in Radda in Chianti, the estate cultivates 12.5 hectares of vines whose roots sink into cool soils containing a significant proportion of clay and pebbles — galestro and alberese. “This place has always been known as ‘Terrabianca’ because of the sulphur eruptions that leave whitish spots in the vineyards,” explains Adriana Burkard. “Inspired by the profound respect we have for the authentic identity of our local sites, we decided to preserve the toponym and dedicate it to our most representative Chianti Classico.”

The Gran Selezione “Vigna Terrabianca” is the result of a strong desire to give a voice to the estate’s most historical, rocky, and steep vineyard parcel, with south-facing vines over 40 years old lying at an elevation of 378 metres.

The agronomy team devotes significant time and attention to this parcel throughout the whole growing season, while nature protects it with a beneficent climate. The year 2020 was marked by a cold and dry winter, which gave way to an ideal spring of warm, breezy days. Summer was sun-blessed, but this area experienced such wide day-night temperature differences that the vines coped easily with a torrid August. The Vigna Terrabianca grapes reached their peak ripeness in October, and the clusters were picked and brought to the cellar on October 9^th.

Following a meticulous quality selection, the precious Sangiovese grapes from Vigna Terrabianca were fermented at controlled temperatures in stainless steel tanks. The newly fermented wine then matured for 20 months in 5-hl French oak tonneaux, partly new and partly once-used, before undergoing an additional year of bottle ageing prior to release.

The palate of this Gran Selezione stands out for its dense tannic suite and delicate citrus notes that enhance its precision and overall harmony. To celebrate the cru’s expressive forcefulness, the “Vigna Terrabianca” bottle bears a label that displays a sculpture by the South African artist Dylan Lewis, renowned for his sculptures exploring the relationship between human being and nature. This sculpture, a shamanic male figure among the most iconic of his oeuvre, has now joined the Arillo in Terrabianca collection, rising at the foot of the vineyard as a symbol of its intimate bond with its surrounding environment and of the need to re-establish a forgotten equilibrium.

“Beauty and art belong to nature just as much as wine culture,” stated Adriana Burkard. “They constitute a unitary, integrated system. We want our wines to convey that living in harmony with nature is not only possible, but essential for achieving true excellence.”

Only 2,313 0.75 liter bottles and 24 magnums of Chianti Classico DOCG Gran Selezione Vigna Terrabianca 2020 were produced, each individually numbered. The wine is available at select fine wine shops in Italy, Switzerland, and the United States.