THE WINEMAKER’S VOICE
The Vineyard
In an interview with James Suckling, winemaker Cecilia Leoneschi talks about the distinctive hallmarks of the Prima Pietra vineyards, especially its exposition, soil and closeness to the sea.
Soil
The soil consists of an abundance of fossils, ferrous clay and gabbro, a local rock. These elements lend crucial traits to the wine in terms of aroma and complexity. The soil is very deep and provides an important source of water, essential for ripening the grapes during the drier summer months.
Exposition
Tenuta Prima Pietra sits in a special location, on a hill facing the coast. On the clearest of days, Elba and Capraia islands can be glimpsed in the distance. The vineyard is exposed to a full and intense light that imparts vitality to the plants and, in turn, to the wine.
Altitude
Our vineyard is the highest along the Tuscan Coast, at 450 meters above sea level. The ceaseless sea breezes and the temperatures ranging from day to night are crucial for the aromas as well as for the slow and gradual ripening of the grapes: the guarantee of a perfectly balanced wine.
Tenuta Prima Pietra
The Territory
Prima Pietra is located on the spectacular Tuscan coast, a few kilometers from the sea, near the medieval village of Riparbella, extending along the southern slopes of Poggio di Nocola, above the right bank of the River Cecina.
Here, the hill is punctuated with Mediterranean shrubs, picturesque cypress trees, fine vineyards and lush olive trees. Most of the vineyard of this territory are organically or biodynamically farmed.
ASSOCIAZIONE GRANDI CRU DELLA COSTA TOSCANA
Local Culture and Quality
In February 2017 Tenuta Prima Pietra became a member of the Associazione Grandi Cru della Costa Toscana, founded over 10 years ago to promote a culture of quality among the wines produced in the Massa-Carrara, Lucca, Pisa, Livorno and Grosseto provinces, as well as the identity of every associate winery, connected by a common denominator, the Tyrrhenian Sea, whose breezes and aromas have a strong influence on the personalities of the wines and make this region a crown jewel in Tuscan winemaking.