Le Macioche

Approaching Montalcino from the southeast, visitors to the medieval hill town first ascend the hill of Le Macioche, just beyond which this estate of the same name is located; Biondi-Santi’s famous Il Greppo is just up the road. At 450 meters, the three hectares of vines are at the highest altitude of our Brunello producers, and among the highest of the entire DOCG zone. There are no barriques at Le Macioche, only large botte are used. These are distinctive wines, showing elegant high-toned aromatics and complex floral-to-woodsy scents, with hints of underlying power and full body. Cult winemaker Maurizio Castelli consults (Castelli was previously chief oenologist for the Chianti Classico Consorzio, leading the charge to quality in the 1980’s.) Annual production is only about 1500 cases.

Le Macioche is practicing organic. While copper and sulphur-based products are used, the winery never uses chemical insecticides, or herbicides. Cover crops are sown on every other row between the vines. The plants are then mowed and tilled into the ground in order to provide green manure and natural nitrogen. Very low doses of SO2 are used to preserve the wines.