Brunello di Montalcini Vignavecchia by San Polo

The Vignavecchia vineyard at San Polo is located on a western facing hill of rare beauty. These soils are composed of deep deposits of “galestro” (clay/limestone) which support the profound roots systems of 30+ years-old vines. Here, biodiversity reigns supreme, and with the utmost respect for nature’s own rhythms, we create our Iconic Brunello. 

Intense ruby-red colour with notes of ripe, red fruit, on the nose followed by violets, forest floor and pleasing, woody, undertones. On the palate, the wine is structured, with robust, warm, tannins and a very long finish. The particular features of the terroir at San Polo produce a Brunello Vignavecchia with a capacity for lengthy ageing, while patient cellaring enhances the wine during ageing in the bottle.

Video - San Polo Tour

The idea

The concept underpinning San Polo: to maximize the intrinsic potential of the terroir, make the quest for quality a priority and create an ethical and responsible context where man’s labours and the natural environment are integrated in a harmonious and constructive whole.

The Estate

Our goal was to transform the San Polo Estate into a premium quality winery. The year 2007 marked the beginning of a new era for San Polo: a prestigious, historic appellation was accompanied by an entrepreneurial approach and openness to multiple business opportunities. Subsequently, the importance of an eco-friendly approach was understood and developed, leading to a steadfast commitment to sustainability, which is now the hallmark of the Estate and pervades and informs all its practices and operations.

The Location

San Polo is situated in Podernovi, on the southern slope of Montalcino. The valley is called Sant’ Antimo and there too, almost at touching distance, stands Mount Amiata. The locals call this area a ‘Mezzopane’, meaning that to admire the beautiful view is to ‘take one’s fill’, like food for the soul. The windows, knolls and vantage points of the Estate’s two farmhouses look out over the breath-taking Tuscan landscape of the Old Masters. And finally, San Polo’s modern and innovative wine-making cellar, so cutting-edge as to have become synonymous with the Company itself.

The Montalcino

The key words to describe Montalcino - a superlative wine-growing area that is recognized and appreciated as a benchmark throughout the world - could fill entire pages of a book.

This land is severe yet generous, the air is pure, the landscape unspoilt. It is steeped in history, culture, tradition and dotted with medieval hamlets and dense patches of woodland. This is home of Orcia, Ombrone, Monte Amiata, Sant'Antimo, with its sunshine, wind, light, slow pace of life, peacefulness, agricultural lifestyle, vines, vineyards, a multitude of farms, hillsides sloping in all directions, rolling hills, sweeping heights, diverse microclimates, Sangiovese, Brunello, fame, the world, aristocracy and so much more... San Polo.

The Brunello

The roots of this great wine may be found in the study of the potential of a clone of the Sangiovese variety, Sangiovese Grosso, called 'Brunello' due to the particularly dark colour of the berries. Records of the earliest production of this red wine - which immediately reveals its superlative credentials - date back to the mid-1800s. Originally known and appreciated only locally due also to its high selling price, Brunello di Montalcino gained fame in 1950, conquering first the Italian market and then an international market. The Brunello di Montalcino DOC appellation was conferred in 1967, thus preserving this wine's undeniable excellence. In 1980, the appellation was elevated to DOCG.

The Eco Friendly Philosophy

Those who know Montalcino understand the importance of the variation in altitude, the exposure to the sun, the soil composition in the vineyards and the role played by geographical location (slopes). 

This is why, at San Polo, we feel very strongly about preserving the natural landscape, the specific environment and all its beauty, via the philosophy that inspires our work both in the vineyards and in the cellar. San Polo is a place well worth visiting - a tribute to the principles of integration with the environment; vineyards cultivated according to organic and sustainable farming principles and practices and a cellar dedicated to aesthetes and environmentalists alike.

The Vineyard

The Estate is composed of two holdings: San Polo, planted in 1990 with a plant density of 4,000 vines/hectare (1,618 vines/ac) and Monteluc, planted more recently with a density of 7,000 vines/hectare (2,833 vines/ac). Of a total of 22 hectares, (54.3 ac), 16 ha (39.5 ac) have been planted with wines and 8 ha (19.7 ac) of these are registered as Brunello di Montalcino DOCG. We minimized the use of chemical fertilizers and fungicides, only natural fertilizers in the form of organic compost, and all harvesting is carried our manually and only when the grapes have achieved full maturity. The restricted numbers of buds, high plant density and minimum amounts of fertilization allow the vines to achieve the right balance between fruit and foliage and higher concentrations of sugars, polyphenols and aromatic substances. When necessary, manual thinning out of the clusters is undertaken so as to favour those with better exposure to the sun and thus obtain 4-5 bunches per vine and just 700-800 grams (1.5-1.8 lbs) of grapes per vine.

The Wine Cellar

The particular beauty of the landscape around San Polo could not be marred by the construction of buildings that would compromise its natural harmony. In this sense, our Cellar is ultra-modern - albeit in an area steeped in history and tradition - functional to our production objectives and faithfully reflects our identity and our uniqueness. Because of the innovative techniques used to built it, it intelligently exploits the generous natural resources that the earth has to offer. Built completely underground, it enjoys perfect temperature stability: the underground tunnels cool the air before channelling it into the cellar; the curved shape of the ceilings directs the warm air towards the sides of the rooms where it is expelled via overhead flues; an underground spring also serves to further cool the environment and the porous stone cladding in the ageing cellar regulates the accumulation and release of humidity.

Website : San Polo