Le Mortelle estate is in the heart of Maremma Tuscany, a few kilometres away from the town of Castiglione della Pescaia, set in an extraordinary and fascinating position both for the territory’s unparalleled natural beauty and for its historical heritage and culture.
The Le Mortelle estate is located in the heart of lower Maremma, near the town of Castiglione della Pescaia, in the province of Grosseto.
The Antinori family has always been present the area. In 1863, an inventory of family’s patrimony mentions among its possessions on the Poggio Franco hill, one of the vineyards with the highest potential, as well as other parcels of land. The family, ever since 1999, has dedicated their efforts to building the new cellar and improving the surrounding vineyards with the firm belief that this area, slowly emerging on the Italian viticultural horizon, has great potential for the production of high quality wines. Varieties grown in this area can fully express their own characteristics together with the exceptional qualities of the terroir.
The name “Mortella” means wild myrtle, a fragrant shrub that grows along the coastal area of the Maremma that has become the estate’s symbol. The property consists of 270 hectares (667 acres), 170 of which (420 acres) are planted with vineyards. Wines produced here faithfully reflect the territory, powerful yet elegant at the same time.
Project
Hydea Spa envisioned right from the beginning the concept for the Le Mortelle winery conducting a careful analysis of the surrounding territory and handling all phases from design to completion. All stages of the project were carefully contemplated; the preliminary project, definitive project, working drawings and specifications to construction management, safety coordination, conservative restoration of the farmhouse “Leopoldina”, sustainable wastewater collection and treatment, a phytoremediation system, and the exterior landscaping project and green space design with trees and shrubs typical of Maremma.
The idea for the project came from the Antinori family’s desire to build a modern winery that could go above and beyond the standard architectural model of the estate’s preexisting structures without compromising the area’s natural beauty and traditions focusing on sustainable design, natural building materials and a minimal impact on the environment. Hydea presented the project for an underground winery, evocative of the nearby Etruscan necropolises, that could integrate modern architecture into Maremma’s surrounding landscape with efficient production facilities and state of the art technology. Work began by dismantling the preexisting structures and a project for a circular building with a central layout took shape. The cylindrical three-story structure measures 38 meters in diameter with two rows of columns placed radially around its cylindrical core. The winery is covered with an impressive living green roof, perfectly integrated into the surrounding environment, the underside of the roof is lined with a glued laminated timber and steel ceiling punctured with a central skylight to bring natural light into the depths of the winery. Lateral slit windows, partially obscured by Mediterranean scrub, bring additional illumination into the atrium. Inside, the winery’s central feature is an imposing steel and wooden helical staircase that connects vertically the three levels both functionally and visually.
The staircase descends down the illuminated stairwell following the natural flow of the production cycle from top to bottom with grape reception on the upper level, to fermentation vats and finally aging in barriques on the lower level. The concept of vertical operations and sustainability drove the desire to provide underground spaces cooled naturally by the environment, equipment and technology specific to winemaking for gentle, less traumatic handling of the grapes thus preserving the delicate balance of the wine.
The lower level is perhaps the most striking feature of the Le Mortelle winery; a circular barrel cellar that uses thermoregulation provided by bedrock where barrels are arranged in concentric circles at the bottom of the staircase; a glass enclosed tasting room; and 12 framed openings of exposed solid rock. Design, environmental responsibility, and state-of-the-art winemaking technologies are all elements that make the Le Mortelle winery unique.
Hospitality
A visit to Le Mortelle estate is an oenologic and tasting journey, discovering a territory of exceptional beauty, where the colors of the land merge with those of the sea. A guided tour covers the 3 levels of the structure: starting from the grape reception room, passing through the winemaking area, and arriving in the fascinating barricaia on the lower floor.
The tour will end with a tasting of the estate’s wines.
Le Mortelle estate is open everyday for guided tours, wine tastings and with its own Wine-Shop.
Guided tours | Wine tastings | Events – Reservation required.
Wines
BOTROSECCO - Maremma Toscana DOC
Botrosecco is made from a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, an intriguing, decisive wine with great balance expressing the unique characteristics of the Maremma territory.
VIVIA - Maremma Toscana DOC
Vermentino and Ansonica are varietals typical of the Tuscan coastal zones. Viognier, on the other hand, was chosen and planted after years of patient experimentation. Vivia is an elegant white wine, and reflects the colors and aromas of the coast of Maremma.
POGGIO ALLE NANE - Maremma Toscana DOC
Poggio alle Nane is a blend of the finest Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and a small percentage of Carménère grapes that express the unique terroir of some of the estate’s best vineyards characterized by incredible quality.
Poggio alle Nane’s name comes from the area where its vines grow. It’s an area where once “Nane” were bred, an old local dialect for duck. The vineyards extend from the hillside to the lake, and both are still part of the property.
AMPIO DELLE MORTELLE - Toscana IGT
Ampio was inspired by the idea to represent the finest expression of the Maremma’s terroir, becoming possible in an excellent vintage. It is the synthesis of the most precious grapes of Carménère, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc grapes grown in Le Mortelle’s finest vineyards. Ampio owes its name to the river which runs through the estate.