Sun, Sea, Wild
Herbs &
Granite Soils
In an area of breathtaking natural beauty with a historic vocation for winemaking, the Ansonica grape expresses its full potential, distilling all the aromatic intensity of its wild island home.
Few of those who take selfies in front of the Leaning Tower of Pisa realise that the two granite columns flanking its entrance come from Giglio.
The island is relatively young in geological terms, forming from a granitic ‘pluton’ that emerged from the sea around 5 million years ago. Since the Roman era, vines have grown here in symbiosis with the hard granitic soil, giving rise to wines whose taste and aroma is distinct and unmistakable.
In the early sixteenth century, travellers gazing at Giglio from passing ships would have seen an island almost entirely covered in neat, verdant terraced vineyards. Pirate raids, the phylloxera epidemic and 20th century migration caused many of the vineyards to be abandoned, along with the drystone walls or greppe, hewn by hand from the granite rock, that had prevented soil erosion and held in the scarce rainwater, directing it to the vine roots.
Few of those who take selfies in front of the Leaning Tower of Pisa realise that the two granite columns flanking its entrance come from Giglio.
The island is relatively young in geological terms, forming from a granitic ‘pluton’ that emerged from the sea around 5 million years ago. Since the Roman era, vines have grown here in symbiosis with the hard granitic soil, giving rise to wines whose taste and aroma is distinct and unmistakable.
In the early sixteenth century, travellers gazing at Giglio from passing ships would have seen an island almost entirely covered in neat, verdant terraced vineyards. Pirate raids, the phylloxera epidemic and 20th century migration caused many of the vineyards to be abandoned, along with the drystone walls or greppe, hewn by hand from the granite rock, that had prevented soil erosion and held in the scarce rainwater, directing it to the vine roots.
However, a few plots survived – including one on the island’s western slopes, below the main village of Giglio Castello.
Called Il Finocchio after the wild fennel that grew all around, this was still under vine when Philippe Austruy of Vignobles Austruy acquired it in 2019, spellbound by the pure natural setting and convinced that this unique micro-zone had the potential to deliver a great white wine. At an altitude of around 300 metres, the vineyards face west-south-west towards the Bay of Campese, following a relatively gentle gradient that is unusual on mountainous Giglio. They are surrounded and protected by wild garrigue and a rare remnant of the ilex forest that once covered the island, so that on arrival, one has the impression of stumbling on a secret woodland garden.
Called Il Finocchio after the wild fennel that grew all around, this was still under vine when Philippe Austruy of Vignobles Austruy acquired it in 2019, spellbound by the pure natural setting and convinced that this unique micro-zone had the potential to deliver a great white wine.
At an altitude of around 300 metres, the vineyards face west-south-west towards the Bay of Campese, following a relatively gentle gradient that is unusual on mountainous Giglio. They are surrounded and protected by wild garrigue and a rare remnant of the ilex forest that once covered the island, so that on arrival, one has the impression of stumbling on a secret woodland garden.
Two nearby plots, Allume and Scoglio Nero, also form part of the estate and will soon be planted to vine.
Both are associated with the mineral extraction that was practiced here in antiquity. Scoglio Nero, or ‘Black Cliff’, derives its name from the deposits of shiny black hematite that are scattered around most of the vineyards. The greppe drystone walls of all three parcels have been restored with the help of local specialist artisans. Three palmenti – ancient stone basins for wine processing and fermentation – are scattered around the property, alongside an elaborate system of channels and cisterns, hewn by hand into the rock, which are being restored and returned to their ancient function of conserving and directing precious rainwater.
The Ansonica grape finds its elective home in Giglio’s sandy, granitic terrain. Hardy and highly drought-resistant, its natural vegetative vigor is held in check by shallow soils (in places the bedrock is less than a foot below the surface) and scarce rainfall. As a result, the bush-trained vines concentrate in the small number of grapes that prosper all the aromatic intensity of this charmed Mediterranean terroir. The biodiversity of the fragrant maritime garrigue that surrounds the vineyards also helps to elevate the wine’s quality and purity.
ISLAND
A MEDITERR
ANEAN ARK
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