Fedra , the collectible wine of Tommaso Inghirami

“
Just as for so many years we sewed shirts, today we also sew wines that have the fabric we like
“. Thus Tommaso Inghirami summarizes his entry into the world of wine with the Fattoria di Grignano, 600 hectares the that of Pontassieve, which his family-known for having founded, after the war, the leading company in the production of shirts Ingram – had purchased back in the 1970s.

Tommaso’s, however, is a rather rare path in the wine environment, even more so in Tuscany, where generational transition is strong. Tommaso, in fact, was the first in his family who decided to devote himself full-time to wine production after leaving his employment at Ferrero. Its path started from the very beginning in the wake of some innovative business ideas, such as with the Singersangio, appealing label of Sangiovese vinified in steel intended for a young audience. Now it is the turn of the art project Phaedra, recently presented in Milan in a family-owned wing of the historic Palazzo Acerbi (famous, among others, for the cannonball embedded in the facade, fired during the Five Days of Milan).

Internationals in Rufina

Born in a territory well delineated from the enological point of view which is the Chianti Rufina, the new wine intends to emphasize its peculiarities, breaking away from the most stringent tradition. Fedra is in fact a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, two grapes historically present in Rufina, where, however, it is always Sangiovese, which stands out here for its great freshness and longevity.

“
When I arrived in Grignano, I had the desire to

change everything

, also motivated by the dynamism I have always breathed at Ferrero,”
says Tommaso. “But then I realized that I was in A reality that has existed for 500 years, in a unique territory, a still largely virgin countryside, which is Rufina. On the estate, each vineyard has a unique exposure and a history of its own, which, thanks to the caseworker born in Grignano itself 85 years ago, I was able to reconstruct to perfection. The most interesting thing I realized was that there were some
vineyards

that could have been better enhanced if

vinified on their own
, because they had the makings of great wines. That’s how, after my first harvest in 2018, with the farm team we started thinking about a new project“.

Phaedra, the wine of the ancestor

That project today is named Phaedra and began in January 2019 by selecting the most vocated plots of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, the two hectares of the Vallebona and Pratello vineyards. On the sidelines of the wine aspect, however, the project is particularly distinguished by another element: the narrative element that intends to Linking territory, history and family roots. The name Fedra itself is, in fact, a tribute to Thomas’ ancestor, his namesake, Italian scholar and humanist who lived between 1470 and 1516. A professor of rhetoric at the Roman Academy and a skilled communicator, the man of letters excelled so much in staging a Greek tragedy, Fedra, that this has since become his nickname.

Art, tradition and territory

In dedicating his first “collectible” wine to his ancestor, young Thomas also wanted to recreate the link that existed between the man of letters and art. He then commissioned Franco Alessandrini The creation of a design to accompany the release of the 2019 vintage. The artist was chosen because of his countrymen-both are natives of San Sepolcro, as was Piero della Francesca, an artist of “rupture” and Alessandrini’s own reference-and for the multifaceted nature of his production, which ranges from paintings to sculpture to large-scale installations. “The history of Fedra wine – Tommaso Inghirami tells – could only begin with Franco Alessandrini, an artist who encompasses several souls, traditions and cultures, all of which, however, are linked to strong Biturgese roots (natives of Sansepolcro). Also, I find him to be a really
vanguardist

in our time
“.

Peculiarity of Alessandrini, who has been dividing his time between Tuscany and the United States since 1967, is precisely his ability to escape any “labeling,” expressing a personal poetics, defined by American art critic Barbara Nauer as “
Vibrasive
“, for its ability to offer a dynamic and changing vision Of its subjects. Hence, the artist’s ability to “depict” music as well, such as that emanating from the work created for Phaedra, which depicts some jazz musicians in full artistic ferment.

The artwork will not only go on the bottle label, but will be included in the form of a signed and numbered silkscreen print also inside the package in which the wines will be offered for sale.

The wine Toscana Rosso Fedra 2019

The offspring of a fairly regular vintage, not too hot and with significant temperature swings, the Phaedra 2019 is made from a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, hand-picked from plants about 20 years old. The musts are vinified separately in steel and then mature in barrique for 18 months before aging an additional 24 months in bottle.

Just over 1,200 bottles were produced, which are considered collectible. A total of 40 cases of 3 bottles each in addition to 100 individually wrapped magnums at a respective cost of 500 and 450 euros.

TO READ THE WINE DESCRIPTIONS, WITH SCORE AND AVERAGE SHELF PRICE, CLICK ON THE TABS BELOW.