Tenuta Licinia

Tenuta Licinia is located at the foot of the Tuscan Apennines near the village of Lucignano, on the border between the provinces of Siena and Arezzo. The property consists of 60 hectares of forest, 5.5 hectares of vineyards and 3 hectares of olive groves. The vines were planted in 2007 by Jacques de Liedekerke and the winemaker is now James Marshall-Lockyer, his nephew. The cellar produces small selections of wines on different qualities of subsoil. Biodynamic practices are followed.

Before coming to Licinia two years ago, James was working on his doctorate in the philosophy department of the University of Oxford, where his research focused on the foundations of ethics and the nature of value. In oenology, his research interests are centered on the nature of the subsoil/vine interaction. When the opportunity arose, he decided he wanted to take over his grandfather's project, which he had been involved in for many years.

The vineyard of Tenuta Licinia is located on a highly friable stratified clay shale marl subsoil. It is a terroir capable of giving the cabernet a peculiar graphite and saline dimension as well as the specific note of rose petal.

In the cellar, delicate extraction is favored and moderate use of wood for ageing.

James has also decided to develop a new cru project: after examining over 100 vineyards in the local region, he has finally identified a small plot of about 1 hectare with a calcareous subsoil, which he believes can produce exceptional territorial Sangiovese wines. The first vintage of this “Montalceto” wine will be 2023.