In 1992 a Swiss filmmaker drove south through Tuscany, found an abandoned hillside farm in the Maremma, and made a decision that would define the next three decades of his life. Ruedi Gerber's Sequerciani is today one of Maremma's most serious biodynamic estates -- an integrated agricultural system producing natural wine, olive oil, ancient-grain pasta, and honey from a property that has been coaxed from ruin into extraordinary vitality.
Backstory
Gerber acquired the property near the medieval village of Tatti, close to Gavorrano in the province of Grosseto, when its eight hectares of vines and farmland had been long abandoned. He began restoring the land using organic methods immediately, and within a few years had implemented full biodynamic agriculture. Vine planting began in earnest around 2009, focusing exclusively on indigenous Tuscan varieties. Today the estate spans 175 hectares in total, with fourteen under vine. Sequerciani holds recognition as a Guardian Cultivator from Italian biodiversity authorities for its role in preserving nearly-extinct grape varieties.
The Region
Maremma stretches along the southern Tuscan coast, a region historically associated with malaria and cattle ranching before progressive reclamation in the twentieth century made it one of Italy's fastest-rising wine areas. Sequerciani's vineyards sit at 250 meters above sea level in the rolling hills inland from the Tyrrhenian Sea, roughly thirty kilometers from the water. Sun-soaked days give way to cool evenings shaped by sea breezes, creating the diurnal shifts that preserve freshness and aromatic precision in the fruit. Soils are iron-rich clay over limestone.
Vineyards and Farming
The fourteen hectares under vine are certified biodynamic by both BioAgriCert and Demeter. Farming follows a regenerative model combining biodynamic preparations -- horn silica, horn manure -- with cover crops, herbal tisanes, and plant oils in place of synthetic treatments. Grapes are harvested entirely by hand in small crates, with fifteen percent of each harvest picked early to inoculate the main fermentation with wild yeasts.
Winemaking
The cellar operates on three principles Gerber states simply as: "Grape, sun, and earth -- that's it." Fermentations proceed spontaneously in concrete vats without temperature control. Aging occurs in terracotta amphorae, cement, or old wood depending on the wine. Sulfur is used sparingly, at levels no higher than 40 mg/L; the majority of wines are bottled without any SO2 addition. Nothing is fined; nothing is filtered. As Gerber puts it: "The wine is born alone -- we do not want to meddle."
The Wines
Six wines make up the current range, all from indigenous Tuscan varieties: a Vermentino white, the ciliegiolo-based Oh Rosa! rose, the Libello blend of Sangiovese, Ciliegiolo, and Foglia Tonda, a 100% Ciliegiolo red, a 100% Foglia Tonda, and the Pugnitello, a variety so rare it was nearly extinct before Sequerciani began championing it. All vines are around twenty years old and all farming is certified organic and biodynamic.
