About ten kilometers from Arezzo, perched at 400 meters in the eastern Tuscan hills, Fattoria di Gratena has farmed organically since the mid-1990s with a single-minded focus on native grapes.
History and People
The Sieni family bought the property in 1968. Today it is run by Rosanna and Paolo Sieni, with winemaking by Fabio Mecca. The estate committed to organic farming and certification in the mid-1990s, bottling and certifying all its products as organic.
The Region
Gratena lies in the hills near Pieve a Maiano, around ten kilometers from the city of Arezzo in eastern Tuscany, at roughly 400 meters above sea level.
Vineyards and Farming
The estate spans about 180 hectares, with around 16 to 17 hectares of vines and 10 of olive trees. Farming is organic: the soil is enriched with organic manure, and copper and sulfur are the only treatments used. The estate works exclusively with native varieties, led by Sangiovese on calcareous-clay soils, and also cultivates Gratena Nero, a Tuscan grape officially recognized by the University of Milan in 2017.
Winemaking
Grapes are hand-harvested for precise selection. Fermentation is spontaneous, relying on indigenous yeasts, in steel tanks positioned outdoors so the wines benefit from natural day-to-night temperature swings.
The Wines
The range centers on Chianti DOCG and a Chianti Riserva, both built on 100 percent Sangiovese, alongside expressions of the estate's own Gratena Nero. Most of the production is exported.
