ALONG THE SHOOTS OF THE VERNACCIA, FOLLOWING THE HISTORY OF THE TERRITORY

Our story is like many others in the wine world, it is a family story. It keeps its roots in the beautiful ground of San Gimignano, just like our father, Mario, who still keeps his hands in this ground. And that makes this story special to us.
It was the very beginning of the Fifties when Mario, not yet an adult, worked in the fields already. Time and determination helped him to give birth to our firm, first just a breeding farm and then a real wine estate.
Il Colombaio di Santa Chiara turned into a winery in 2002, when our youngest brother, Alessio, had started his Enological studies already and wanted to put his efforts and passion to good use in this work. In that moment we all decided to join him in the wonderful and complex world of wine.

STEP BY STEP

Few years before we had purchased the San Donato Parish with its parsonage and fields. Our first, small wine cellar was built there, giving us the chance to begin our activity.
The older brothers – Giampiero and Stefano – were easily and happily involved in this adventure. We all enjoyed having the possibility of working together, day by day, experiencing the beauty of our land. Mario, our father, has always been there to help and to support us with his extensive knowledge of the vines.

 

LISTENING TO THE TERRITORY

We have been making the territory speak, we have been listening to it, we have been supporting its vocation. We have been following the traces of tradition, finally getting to know the Vernaccia di San Gimignano, such a strong and sincere vine, free of expressing the topic characteristics of our land. 

But we have decided to follow the same path also for our red wines, linked to the vocation of the ground, exalting an historical vine, the Sangiovese, or migrant vines like Cabernet Franc and Merlot. We decided to respect our land and maintain its richness. This is the reason for obtaining an organic farming certification, year after year, harvest after harvest, thanks to the collaboration of our enologist, Nicola Berti.

The wines our land gives birth to are not afraid of the time, and they know how to compensate for the patience of a long wait. Deep and complex wines, with the freshness of an ageless landscape.

OUR VINEYARDS, DIFFERENT AREAS FOR UNIQUE WINES

Our vineyards stand on the DOCG Vernaccia di San Gimignano soil for 22 hectares. Only a small part of this area is wooded. Most of the vineyard soil is composed of old Pliocene sands, clays, pebbles and gravels. They alternate older plots of land with cavernous limestones.

SAN DONATO

This name comes from the small Romanesque Parish standing above the vineyard, along the Via Francigena, where a Medieval settlement was located. Sands of the old Pliocene, locally composed of clays, pebbles, and gravels, are the geologic substratum of the soil. 2 hectares vineyard entirely dedicated to the Vernaccia di San Gimignano. Exposure to the south.

BACICOLO

Locally named “Baciolo”, it is a small vineyard of 1 hectare, where the Cabernet Franc vines are located. Exposure to the north.

PESCILLE

Close to San Donato, Pescille is the name of a 3 hectares vineyard with Vernaccia and Sangiovese vines. It stands in the southern area of the Commune of San Gimignano with a nice exposure to the south.

CAMPO DELLA PIEVE

1,5 hectares vineyard standing below the San Donato Parish. The Campo della Pieve grapes come from here.

COLOMBAIO

Quoting Armando Castagno in his book about the Vernaccia di San Gimignano (published by the Consortium of the San Gimignano Denomination), the Racciano place name comes from “Fundus Rasianus (lat.), name of the Rasinia people of Etruscan origin”. This vineyard, with eastern exposure, is 2,5 hectares large and it is entirely dedicated to the Vernaccia grapes. The Albereta grapes come from here.

COTONE

ÈThis is our largest plot of land, 10 hectares wide and eastern exposure. It is historically considered one of the best grounds for producing the Vernaccia di San Gimignano grapes. According to Armando Castagno, Cotone is a name dated back to 1011 A.C. and coming from the term “Cote“, which means “large rock“. Our Vernaccia and Sangiovese vines are cultivated here.