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Castel Ruggero Wine estate and and the raising of the biodiversity: wine, fruit and vegetables

Nicolò D’Afflitto is the owner of the unique villa-castle of the 16th century Castel Ruggero on a hill located between Poggio della Fontanaccia and Poggio di Tizzano, about 6 kms from Grassina,

His sons take part to the family business working with him at the farm, taking care of the land as better they can thanks to their high experience in wine.

Nicolò is also one of the oenologist of the important wine estate, Marchesi de’ Frescobaldi, and carries out an active collaboration with various wine estates in Tuscany.

Castel Ruggero estate is composed by 120 hectares of land at an altitude of 250 meters above sea level, 12 of which are planted with specialized vineyards and the rest being olive groves and woods, on land which is characterized mainly by clayey soil, which is one of the best characteristic which gives to the wines important and positive impulse.

Six hectares are cultivated with Sangiovese and the rest with Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Syrah.

Due to the rugged characteristics of the land, the production is very low and the grape harvest is carried out by hand, qualities which contribute to improve the quality of the vines. The alcoholic fermentation and the maceration take place in cement tanks and, immediately following the malolactic fermentation, then in barriques for 18 months.

The estate was born thanks to the ideas of the grandfather of Nicolò who had at that time an important tobacco cultivation and bought the property in 1929. The cellar dated back to 1600 and conserves its antique structure which gives to the wines an ideal ambient thanks to a natural temperature given by a natural hole inside the cellar which picks the air from the exterior and brings it directly to the interior preserving always a 16-18 degree both winter as summer.

By the way, the clayey soil it’s not the best solution for those who want to cultivate vegetables and fruits… so,  his challenge few years ago was to make and create an enchanting space for plants and vegetables and to experiment biodiversity and cultivation of an huge multiply of varieties thanks to the rotation of the cultivation every few months of the year.

So, at the estate there is one acre dedicated to his vegetables like cabbages, tomatoes, an incredible variety of carrots and pumpkins, ‘ratte and vitellate’ potatoes, the bitorzoluto basil and chili peppers…surrounded by many aromatics herbs from a side and from fruit trees from the other.

Today, at Castel Ruggero you can find 150 varieties of different fruits like medlars, apricots and figs…and an incredible liliaceous variety like garlic, onion and scallion.

Fantastic is the cultivation of the beautiful peony plant, famous for its therapeutic use, which has no perfume. For this reason the peony is the perfect solution to be used as table decoration. 

Impossible to miss his huge variety of carrots, orange carrots and also violet carrots which thanks their high level of polyphenols and antioxidants are perfect against stress, radiations and chemical and bacterial agents. Violet carrots are perfect also against diabetes, hypertension and obesity.

Incredible his knowledge about tomatoes. Nicolò cultivates around 450 varieties (red, pink, white, green, yellow, black and orange tomatoes) because each tomato has its own correct use, so with him you will learn which is the right tomato to use to make a perfect pappa al pomodoro or which is the best to produce a nice tomato sauce for the pasta or the best sliced in a light salad.

Impossible to miss in September, his Pomodori in Festa, The Feast of the Tomatoes, the first week of the month.

Wines & Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

Castel Ruggero Chianti Classico DOCG

80% Sangiovese, 15% Merlot, 5%  Cabernet Franc

Wine-making techniques: 18 days at 30 degrees C

Ageing: 18 months in new barriques of French wood for 1/5 of the production and for 2 or 3 years for the remaining 4/5.

Bottling: March 2005

13,50 Alcohol %

Castel Ruggero IGT

60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, 10% Syrah

Wine-making techniques: 18 days at 30 degrees C

Ageing: 18 months in new barriques of French wood for 100% of the production

Bottling: March 2005

14,1% Alcohol

Chianti Classico Oil DOP CASTEL RUGGERO - 500 mL

The Chianti Classico oil DOP Castel Ruggero is made out the pressing of typical Tuscan olives varieties like : Frantoio , Moraiolo and Leccino.

The harvest is done by hand from the beginning of October till the beginning of November when the olives reach the peak of their ripening. Within 24h the olives are brought to the mill to be pressed.

The main features are: the bright color, that is deep green with gold highlights; intense perfumes of fresh grass and artichoke. In mouth a pleasant sensation of spicy and hot, that is very typical of the product, with an intense ending.