From Robb Report · Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen · · 1m 20s
Tuscany digs up clay pots again
A handful of Tuscan estates have swapped oak for terra-cotta, the vessel the Etruscans used first.
In brief
A handful of Tuscan estates have swapped oak for terra-cotta, the vessel the Etruscans used first. Amphora aging is a deliberate move toward wines that taste like their vineyard, not their barrel. Originally reported by Robb Report.
Oak is not the only way
Oak barrels have set the standard for aging wine for centuries. A small group of Tuscan estates decided that standard was worth questioning.
“oak barrels have been the gold standard for aging wine for the past several hundred years”
A far older vessel
They went back to terra-cotta amphora, clay jars that predate every barrel in the cellar. Old technology, used on purpose.
Why the clay vanished
Amphora fell out of use as stainless steel tanks and oak barrels took over the wine world. Convenience and scale won for a long stretch.
The point is purity
Clay does not season the wine the way oak does. Fermenting and aging in amphora lets the vineyard speak without a layer of wood on top.
“to maintain unadulterated expressions of their vineyards”
From fringe to conversation
What started as an odd experiment by a few producers is now an open dialogue among Tuscany's most forward-thinking winemakers.
“has blossomed into a wider dialogue”
The clay was always here
Tuscan clay pits have supplied fine terra-cotta wine vessels since the Etruscans. Many wineries still use local clay, and source more from elsewhere in Italy and Europe.
At a glance
Amphora aging is a deliberate move toward wines that taste like their vineyard, not their barrel.
