San Torpe is a relatively new DOC title from Tuscany, created in 2011 to replace Bianco Pisano di San Torpe, whose super-specific production regulations were proving less than efficient for marketing the area's wines.
The new San Torpe title covers precisely the same area as its predecessor – fifteen parishes at the western edge of the Pisa province, spilling over slightly into neighboring Livorno province.
Where the Bianco Pisano di San Torpe title covered just two wine styles (sweet and dry Malvasia-Trebbiano blends), the new, more flexible San Torpe title allows not only for Sangiovese-based rosés, but also for varietal whites made from Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Trebbiano and Vermentino. The long-established San Torpe Vin Santo style (made from Malvasia Bianca Lunga and Trebbiano) remains unchanged.
The majority of vineyards producing San Torpe wines are located within 10–20 miles from Tuscany’s Tyrrhenian coastline. The climate here is typical of Tuscany, with long, bright summer days and a relatively harsh winter, moderated only slightly by the presence of the nearby sea. The landscape is equally Tuscan, with rolling, cypress-lined hills disappearing into the distance towards Florence and Sienna.
Average annual rainfall for the San Torpe area is around 750mm, falling mainly in autumn and winter. Just 10% of the annual precipitation falls in the summer, making for dry, bright conditions throughout the all-important ripening period. The topography here is (typically for western Tuscany) characterized by low-lying coastal hills. These average 820ft (250m), and peak at 1300ft (400m). The local soils are relatively homogenous, with limestone clays and schist being the most common found in local vineyards.
Dry San Torpe wines are gently aromatic and have the trademark tangy acidity common to so many Italian whites. Subtle stonefruit aromas and floral hints can be found in most of these wines, contributing to an overall refreshing style. Sweet Vin Santo di San Torpe wines are sweet, golden wines traditionally consumed with biscotti (twice-baked biscuits). The wines are made from shriveled grapes whose sugars, and thus the flavors held within those sugars, become naturally concentrated as they dry out in the months after harvest.
Although Tuscany is typically known for its red wines, San Torpe is just one of several white-wine-specific DOCs here. Others include Verncaccia di San Gimignano, Bianco di Pitigliano (created in March 1966 these are significant as two of Tuscany’s longest-established DOCs) and Bianco dell'Empolese.
