Il Cerchio (the circle of life): An exciting new Tuscan producer from the Bassa Maremma

New Producer:
Il Cerchio
In the Bassa Maremma—with the accidental vignerons



Il Cerchio is the tale of a hobby farm that became an obsession, of Milanese architects who became idealistic wine growers, and of course, it is a tale of a place, naturally farmed, and the delicious wines that it produces.

Set on the expansive shoreline of the southern Maremma, in Tuscany’s southwest, this small Estate only came to our attention in the last twelve months. The wines are original and compelling and had us at the first sip. In fact, they were some of the most appealing and honestly made wines that we tasted on our trip to Italy this year. The small range is led by a pure, mouth-coating and snappy white, from the local Ansonica grape, and a Sangiovese blend that, teeming with juicy, fresh red cherry and berry fruit, delivers exactly what so many Tuscan wines lack; sheer drinking pleasure in a pure, unadulterated form (unadulterated by new oak and French varietals that is).

Trading the mists of Milan for the sun of the southern Maremma, Corinna and Valentino Podesta purchased their 9-hectare farm, originally intended as a holiday/retirement home, in 1988. It lies just outside the Medieval town of Capalbio, about a forty-minute drive from Scansano which, as many Italophiles will know, gives its name to the now well-know DOCG of Morellino di Scansano. To those unfamiliar with Tuscany’s viticultural extremities, this area of Maremma is strikingly different to the Tuscany of travel brochures and Merchant Ivory films. For a start, it’s worth noting that Capalbio is marginally closer to Rome than it is to Florence. The further south you drive along the Via Aurelia, which hugs the coast all the way down to Rome, the more the countryside and culture change dramatically. By the time you hit... learn more