Salcheto is… Sangiovese, Quality and Sustainability
Salco means the willow tree in the ancient Tuscan language, an important plant for wine territories throughout history as its branches were used to bind and the vines. Salcheto is the name of the stream , which springs at the foot of the town of Montepulciano and winds through a valley where willows abounded. This stream is the boundary of our organic and biodynamic estate, rooted in the historic district of Vino Nobile, in the southeast of the Siena province of Tuscany. The willow tree, a species that we continue to replant at the winery, also contributes to the winery’s energy independence, is today prominently represented in our logo as part of our commitment to environmental sustainability.
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Our Wines
History is teaching us how to innovate..
Thirty years have passed since Salcheto was born as a viticultural reality, moving from a classic farm sharecrop to a high quality and innovative winery and estate. Lead by Michele Manelli since 1997, the company inaugurates on its thirtyeth birthday a new image that reflects its path and the goals achieved: terroir and sangiovese oriented wines focused on drinkability and aromatic accuracy, with winemaking that is sulfite free and uses indigenous yeasts, with the two wines in the new "Obvius" label, Red and Rosé made of grapes only; an “off-grid” cellar which is considered a model of environmental efficiency and technological innovation; an integrated environmental estate management model (GHG, Water, Biodiversity) which has achieved world premiere in indexing of Carbon and Water Footprint.
Finally a newly designed bottle is also unveiled, the “Bordolese Toscanella”, whose elegant shape is reminiscent of the ancient history of Tuscan wine, while also being the lightest and most ecological bottle available on the market. History, innovation, quality, something we care about.
Salco 2089
Only for the sake of making a great wine. From our most mature vineyard (the “Salco and the Lake”, 5,5ha.), at the heart of the Salcheto’s estate in Montepulciano, since 1999 we produce a vintage cru, the Salco. With “Salco 2089” concept, we want to sight an even greater quality, maybe perfect, from the fusion of different vintages.
Salco
From the most mature plots in the vineyards of the company, the “Salco” (2 ha/5 acres) and the “Laghetto” (3,5 ha/8 acres), Salco is produced thanks to a clone of Sangiovese Prugnolo Gentile that at each vintage reaches with ease a slight over ripeness. After maturing 2 years in wood, it is refined up to 4 years in our cellar.
Riserva
Vinified through the ancient “Governo Toscano” method with only Sangiovese Prugnolo Gentile grapes slightly over-ripe by drying, it ages for 24 months in barrels, large and small, and then refines at least 12 months in glass.
Nobile
From the Sangiovese Prugnolo Gentile vineyards, one bottle per plant, it ferments in wood and ages in large and small oak barrels for 18 months to then refine at least 6 months in the bottle.
Obvius Giallo Oro
A White wine with Noble Rot hints, produced and grown following the “sauternes” method but under a fresh and innovative interpretation.
Obvius Rosato
A blend of the three estates Salcheto, Poggio Piglia and La Bandita, mostly Sangiovese vinified in “Grapes Only” method, without any addition. A blend of first choice grapes: in addition to Sangiovese (90%) there is Canaiolo, Mammolo, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, interpreted through fermentation and maturation in steel and unfiltered, for an “all fruit” experience made even more attractive by the fact of using only grapes (no added sulfites, selected yeasts, tannins or whatever else imaginable)
Obvius
From the vineyards of “Vino Nobile”, but young and made of grapes only. The first selections of our younger Prugnolo Gentile vines (the Sangiovese in Montepulciano), as interpreted through stainless steel fermentation and maturation, for an “all fruit” experience made even more attractive by the fact of using only grapes (no added sulfites, selected yeasts, tannins or whatever else imaginable)
Rosso
Produced with grapes from the youngest vineyards of the Montepulciano estate, as well as with dedicated first selections, it matures in stainless steel vats only.
Chianti
An easy drinking, everyday wine composed of Sangiovese (80%), Canaiolo and Mammolo. Part of this wine is matured in 300 – liter American oak “tonneaux”.
Other products – Honey
From 8 hives of apis mellifera ligustica, who facilitate the fertilization of flowers and plants at each of our vineyards of Salcheto, Poggio Piglia and La Bandita where they are located.
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The Enoteca
Hospitality… we would like to give to this word a sense of transaprency and friendliness
The Salcheto’s Enoteca is raised at the heart of the cellar, where wine is made. It is not an accident but a choice, to open all our doors to visitors, to really convey what we do.
For this same reason that during the harvest period you can taste our wine, accompanied by one of our Brunch, experiencing the charm of the pick-up season all around. The kitchen serves daily lunches with special courses designed for us by friends chefs. The scenery is magnificent, both in the dining room or from the terrace overlooking Montepulciano.
For info enoteca@salcheto.it. or 0578799031 (digit 1)Spoken languages: English, French, German, Portuguese, Russian, Albanian.
Opening Hours: From 10am til 6pm (including holidays)
Our Brunches: Salcheto with Lombo’s Carpaccio and 
Black Truffles from our estate, Leaks and Potatoes Vichyssoise, Salad / Gardener with Minestrone, Misticanza Salas of aromatic and spontaneous herbs and Gran Riserva pecorino flakes, Vegetables Sautee, Bruschetta / Tuscan with Cinta Senese Cold Cuts, Bruschetta, Fresh and Mid-aged Pecorino, Chickpeas Cream, Spelt Salad / Parisi with Eggs in Tomato Sauce from Paolo Parisi’s recipes book 12Ways, Bruschetta, Rich Salad / Sweets of Cheese Cake and Tart
Our suppliers: Formaggi Cugusi Silvana (Montepulciano), Az. Agr. Le Fontanelle (Chianciano T.), Poggio Ulivo (Sarteano), Buongusto (Trequanda), Angolo dei Sapori F.lli Cordì (Montepulciano), Paolo Parisi Podere Le Macchie (Usigliano di Lari)
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The Suites
The Salcheto Winehouse is the new soul of the 13th century farmhouse that is situated at the heart of our wine estate. Once a watchtower for one of the access valleys to Montepulciano, it is endowed with incredible views and vistas, from the old town of Montepulciano all the way to the “Chiari”, the Valdichiana portraits in the “Bird View” drawn by Leonardo Da Vinci.
For centuries this estate was the life-center of rural families who lived and worked this land, to then in the 1990’s those same rooms became the first cellar of the company.
Today the farmhouse accommodates 9 rooms and a lounge with kitchen, furnished by Elisa Cavani of Manoteca, in order to allow guests to live the experience of the Tuscan countryside through many perspectives, from the culture of beauty to wine and relaxation. All this is done with a touch of passionate love for taking care of the surrounding nature.
The rooms are offered with breakfast included. In the furnished garden, hot tubs are available, powered by natural wood heat. All rooms have air conditioning.
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Sustainability
We manage our environment… our most important business
At Salcheto, we believe that a company must set itself goals for continuous improvement to its environmental, social and economic sustainability.
Based on this premise we establish a yearly Social Report within the company (according to the criteria of the SA8000 standards), and also thanks to the research made by the Salcheto Carbon Free Working Group, we carefully manage environmental sustainability based on the following three indicators:
- Carbon Footprint: to control energy and materials directly and indirectly consumed and reduce climate-altering gas emissions.
- Water Footprint: to rationalize the use of water and reduce its pollution.
- Biodiversity Index: in its testing phase, to monitor the biological quality of the soil and of the estate’s ecosystem.
Our continuous search for better interaction with the environment has also led us to:
- Operate an energy independent cellar system (where saving is the primary energy source).
- Conduct and certify our vineyards and our wines according to European Organic protocol.
- Self-produce our fertilizers (by composting) and energize our soils with 500 biodynamic preparations.
- Use wooden materials from controlled sources and responsibly managed forests (FSC and PEFC).
We are proud to be the first company in the world to have certified the carbon footprint of a bottle of wine (according to ISO 14064 standard, in 2011).
After the introduction in 2013 of the ISO TS14067 protocol, we have updated our analysis to this more specific standard, while running an experimental project named CREDICI which was co-financed by the Italian Ministry of Environment. This survey has already been asserted by CSQA-Valoritalia and is available to any of our wines consumers, thanks to a CO2 calculator that indicates in a dynamic way the emissions related to each bottles consumption, all the way through the location where it is uncorked.
For more information on our Carbon Footprint, please access here to the dedicated section salcheto.bio.
Carbon footprint calculator
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