San Gabriele Arcangelo

SAN GABRIELE ARCANGELO

Montecucco

Cinigiano (GR), Tuscany

The inimitable wines of Stavros Stoukas and his San Gabriele Arcangelo estate are rugged and wild: speaking of the arid earth from which they were born, and of something singularly beautiful. Stavros is a proud maverick, conjuring intellectual and thought provoking wines from the land like few others do, pulling in those willing to explore. He never attends Vinitaly or other fairs and therefore flies far under the radar, except for locally in Tuscany, where his wines are revered.

He began making olive oil at San Gabriele Arcangelo over 30 years ago. A native of Greece and a former architect, Stavros fell in love with Montecucco and settled there for the second chapter in his life. An hour with him feels like a longstanding friendship, full of candor and laughter. I have a fond memory of meeting for the first time at a local Trattoria where he proceeded to pour his wine for most patrons; everybody knew him well. I've come to learn that he's a bit of a local figure.

He looked to expand his production to wine in the mid-nineties, recognizing the excellent terroir of the region. Montecucco offers enviable characteristics for fine wine production; particularly for Sangiovese Grosso (the classic Brunello clone). Geographically, Montecucco is to the South-West of Montalcino (sharing a border). The rugged foothills of the Apennines, forming the spine of Italy, are on one side. The Tyrrhenian sea on the other. All DOCG classified land is between 150-450 meters. Elevation is particularly relevant in the wake of the commercially driven Brunello di Montalcino DOCG expansion into inferior low elevation areas.

Cooling influences from both directions meet in Montecucco. The soil is generally rockier compared to the higher clay concentration found in Montalcino. In short, these are ideal conditions for fine wine production. If Montalcino traditionally offers a finessed expression of Sangiovese, Montecucco offers a deeper, structured expression.

Stavros acquired 4 independent parcels of hilltop land, each with prime aspect, soil, elevation and cooling influence. His soil is very shallow and arid: a mix or rocks and Argil (white clay). This was a handful of years before much outside investment flooded the region, making land purchases more difficult. All of his land is registered as Montecucco DOCG, although no wine is labeled as such. His wine is classified as IGT Toscana Sangiovese because he follows a more stringent production and aging regimen.

All vineyards are farmed without the use of pesticides and herbicides and the estate is certified organic. Sulfite use is kept to a minimum and some vintages see no use of added sulfites. All wines see extended aging in old oak casks with spontaneous fermentation and no temperature control. Certain selections are fermented in open top conical casks, others in ceramic jars. All cellar practices follow lunar cycles.

Extended aging in old oak is perceptible in his wines through the expression of dried fruit and herbs. The excellent elevation and shallow soils force the vines under stress, producing particularly serious, virile wine that is structured and raw. It needs to be tamed by the oxygen influence that the barrels provide. These wines force the drinker to slow down and take notice - these are wines to sip slowly and to contemplate.

The flagship wine, Cuccuvaia, is released anywhere from 5-10 years post vintage and sees at least 5 years in old oak barrels. Its broad and confident; a wine of true distinction that showcases noble sites. This type of thinking wags a finger at the trend of more homogenized, commercial production seen throughout Tuscany where cash flow is key. In this narrative, best decisions for fine wine are often ignored and labeled as poor business decisions.

Stavros only makes wine as he believes best express his land and the vintage; regardless of fad or trend. These are among the most distinctive bottles of Sangiovese we've ever had; with unwavering character.