Belgian born vigneron, James Marshall, is committed to furthering his grandfather’s legacy in Tuscany while adding his own mark. Tenuta Licinia, on the hillsides of the Tuscan Apennines in the province of Arezzo, was established in 2007 by Jacques de Liederkerke, his grandfather, who replanted the Sasso di Fata vineyard during that year. Tenuta Licinia was “founded with the idea of bringing back to life historic vineyards with interesting subsoils in a part of Tuscany where fine wine production largely disappeared in the 20th century.” Marshall took over the vineyard planted by his grandfather in 2020 while in the latter stages of his doctoral program at Oxford University and upon Liederkerke’s death.
For the last 15 years, Tenuta Licinia has been “recovering and re-establishing forgotten, overlooked, and historic clos vineyards with specific subsoils.” The winery is focused specifically on small plots with particular subsoil structures across a large 30km radius with 6.5 ha of vines alongside 60 ha of forest. Tenuta Licinia has been certified organic since the vines were planted and currently follows a biodynamic program in the vineyard.
Photo Credit: Winedering
“Over the years, my grandfather became more and more interested in vineyards and subsoils,” remarked James Marshall during a recent video chat and tasting of three wines. During his grandfather’s travels and tastings throughout Tuscany, he noted similarities between certain subsoils in vineyards and his own. “He realized that the vegetative material was not really good and it was the clones of Sangiovese that produced massive grapes, massive bunches. It was the old style of Chianti from the 50’s that came in 3 liter jugs.”
As a result of this preliminary research, Liederkerke decided to plant Cabernet Sauvignon “because he was Belgian and a bit French and because Cabernet really could have some small parcels here. The reason he was particularly excited by the parcel was that its soil was galestro, a super fine slate found in the best Tuscan vineyards. It’s a particular version of that slate because it’s a bit chalky with a golden color. The color is taken from the calcium in the soil. My grandfather knew that this could be interesting.” Liederkerke began producing wines in 2013, the first vintage for Tenuta Licinia.
Photo Credit: Winedering
In many respects, the Licinia style can be described as a clos style with strong aromatics and intensity as well as strong vineyard-centric mineral characteristics. “Aromatic and mineral quality are given greater weight than they typically receive in modern Tuscan winemaking, with softer and cooler extractions and lighter oaking regimes.” Marshall explained. “For me, it’s a cultural identity. It’s a winemaking style identity rather than a territorial, Tuscan identity. In a way, maybe this is more Burgundian and you can call it an international style, but for me it’s really trying to reflect the subsoil in the glass.”
2019 was the first vintage of Montepolli IGT Toscana Rosso. Of 47% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Cabernet Franc and 12% Petit Verdot cultivated on clay limestone soils in a 2.5 ha parcel, only small quantities were produced. The wine was produced “in part to exemplify how even in hot weather conditions, texturally satisfying wines can be built.” Having spent 16 months in French oak tonneau (500L), the wine offered powerful aromas of black cherries, baking spice, mint and balsamic. On the palate, balanced and bright, red fruit and herbs were complemented by moderate acidity and soft tannic structure.
Sasso di Fata IGT Toscana Rosso 2019 “is a special wine for me, because it was mostly made by my grandad and about 10% made by me,” shared Marshall. “He told me once that he wanted it to be the first single vineyard bottling of the winery, but shortly after he told me that, he became very ill. Once I blended it, I rushed it over for him to taste which he did just once before he died. It’s a special wine for the family for that reason and also because it shows all the elements of the vineyard that we’d been trying to bring out in one go.” The wine, of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot, is said to “resemble more the floral and texturally soft wines of Margaux than the more full bodied wines of Paullac, the region that is traditionally associated to Tuscan Cabernet.” Elegant and balanced, floral and juicy fruit notes with salinity and minerality reigned on both nose and palate. Only 3000 bottles were produced.
Bottled only a couple of months prior to our chat and tasting was Sasso di Fata IGT Toscana Rosso 2021 of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. The 3.5 ha vineyard is on galestro subsoil of flaky gold colored schist. “Stylistically, we’re approaching the right direction with the 2021 vintage,” continued Marshall. “It shows an alternative to some of the big Super Tuscans in a certain way.” Generally, though, Marshall believes that Tenuta Licinia Cabernet Sauvignons are more on “the Burgundian style and the extractions.” Brilliant notes of spice, rich red fruit, dark plums and crushed blueberries were intense and carried over to the full bodied palate boasting moderate acidity and textured tannins. This wine was exceptional, even at such a young age.
James Marshall’s research interests in wine continue to be on the interaction between subsoil and grapes as well as “whether wine quality is really as subjective as people tend to claim.” Keep Tenuta Licinia on your radar for “sensorially beautiful wines that capture the site-specific aromas of the vineyard.”
Cheers! ~ Cindy
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