Villa al Cortile - Piccini

Under the brand name Villa al Cortile, the Piccini family intends to express its vision of the prestigious Montalcino area, with the expert management of someone who has lived the world of wine for over 140 years. We are on the northern side of the Ilcinese territory, precisely in the locality of Canapaccia, a place that the Piccinis have chosen as part of the 'Generazione Vigneti' programme, a project under which the family has grouped five estates, in Tuscany and other Italian regions, selected over time to give free rein to their winemaking philosophy. Mario Piccini, the fourth winegrowing generation at the helm of Piccini 1882, is supported in this ambitious project by his children Ginevra, Benedetta and Michelangelo.

The Villa al Cortile - Piccini estate has 12 hectares of vineyards extending from the Montosoli area, on the northern side of Montalcino, to the Lavacchio area, in the south-western part of the denomination. The vineyards, planted entirely to Sangiovese Grosso, enjoy a cool northern and north-eastern exposure, which contributes to the remarkable acidity of the grapes, and a warm, sunny southern exposure, which is the basis of the concentration of the wines produced here. Regardless of the slope of reference, fundamental during the ripening of the grapes are the temperature excursions, essential for the optimal development of the aromatic precursors. Harvesting is carried out by hand in crates, so as to respect the integrity of the bunches, while the oenological approach adopted by the Piccini family is inspired by tradition. For fermentation, temperature-controlled stainless steel fermenters of medium and small size are used, with maceration usually not exceeding 10 days. The subsequent malolactic fermentation is carried out spontaneously and the long ageing process, which lasts between 24 and 36 months, takes place in large oak casks, with a capacity of 20 to 50 hectolitres, in order to minimise the aromatic impact of the wood on the wine.

Three are the labels produced under the Villa al Cortile - Piccini brand, all expressions linked to the territory, from the lively freshness of Rosso di Montalcino to the complexity of Brunello di Montalcino Riserva, passing through the more classic Brunello di Montalcino.