The Flowering of Tuscany’s La Fiorita
Some people travel to Tuscany for vacation – and some to fulfill a dream. For Natalie Oliveros, one of her many entrepreneurial ambitions was to own a Tuscan winery and in 2011, she purchased a majority share in La Fiorita in Montalcino in the southern part of Tuscany.
Oliveros has a nose as keen as her business acumen. Her first foray into winemaking with Savanna Wine earned her a 91 from wine expert Robert M. Parker. The boutique winery Fattoria La Fiorita had been founded by acclaimed winemaker Roberto Cipresso in 1992 on one half hectare of vineyard. Starting with just 1,000 bottles of Brunello, the first vintage of 1993 was purchased in its entirety by Enoteca Pinchiorri of Firenze.
Originally from Vicenza, Cipresso began making wine in 1986 at Montalcino. The author of three books and the winner of “Best Italian Oenologist” in 2006, Cipresso was invited to develop a special vintage for the 150th anniversary of Italian unification in 2010.
With the entrance of Oliveros alongside Cipresso, La Fiorita’s cellar has been moved to a new building with state of the art tools and equipment. The aging of the wines of La Fiorita takes place over a two-year period in French and Slavonian oak, followed by three years in bottle, while the Riserva version of La Fiorita’s Brunello ages in bottle for an additional 2-5 years before its release to the public.
As a rule, La Fiorita holds back on its releases, usually a year longer than the six-year minimum for most other Brunello. According to Cipresso, La Fiorita is less interested in producing “every day wine” and more intent on producing wines with elegance, “the elegance of wines that linger,” a desire that has been corroborated by ratings and reviews. Wine Spectator awarded La Fiorita Brunello di Montalcino DOCG Riserva 2006 a total of 95/100. Tasting notes extoll its deep ruby red color with a nose of sweet red fruit, spices, tar, and tobacco.
A recent launch luncheon in New York at Italian restaurant La Masseria featured a tasting of five vintages alongside the Pugliese cuisine of Executive Chef Pino Coladonato. Coladonato’s simple, farmhouse fresh flavors proved a tasteful complement to the elegance of La Fiorita’s Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2004 with its velvety lush texture and notes of fig, plum, and spice – and a hint of smoke.
Dubbed a “poet of the earth” by Oliveros and others, Cipresso has also produced wines for Achaval Ferrer, one of Argentina’s top wineries, which Wine & Spirits designated as “Winery of the Year.” Currently, La Fioritahas an annual production of 20,000 bottles.
Along with the award-winning wines, La Fiorita produces extra virgin olive oil from the olive groves beside the vineyards. With Oliveros and Cipresso, the flowering of La Fiorita continues to bloom.
