Situated at an altitude ranging from 300 to 460 meters above sea level, with a south-southwest exposure, along the gentle slopes of the Tuscan Maremma, lie the vineyards of Castello di Montepò, 50 hectares of the total 600 of the estate, surrounded by deciduous forests south of Grosseto, on the parallel of the Aldobrandesca Rocca of Talamone. This precious place, which Jacopo Biondi Santi has patiently transformed into the heart of his modern winemaking project through the historical experience of his family, holds intrinsic beauty that effortlessly captures the hearts of those who observe it. However, the value of the estate does not solely lie in its inherent beauty. Choosing the land to which to link such an important winemaking legacy cannot overlook absolute precision and certainty.
AMIDST FOREST, CLIMATE, AND SOIL
The Unique Terroir of Castello di Montepò
To these data and studies, essential information about the soil is added. The clay-schist soils of Eocene origin where the vines of Castello di Montepò thrive, after being evaluated and measured by a group of professors from the Universities of Pisa and Florence, were deemed ideal for the cultivation of the Sangiovese Grosso BBS11 clone, an exclusive heritage of the Biondi Santi family, which over a century and a half ago gave birth to Brunello di Montalcino. In addition to geological and orographic aspects, microzonal studies have also focused on vegetative indices and microclimate characteristics, aggregating a significant amount of data. It is in these hills that the identity of the Biondi Santi family’s wines would maintain their essence. After long defending the lands of men, Castello di Montepò is now the guardian of the great winemaking tradition that Jacopo Biondi Santi’s name represents, a reference point for a winemaking style and sought-after finesse that have marked the supremacy of Sangiovese Grosso among wines of absolute excellence.
THE ESTATE'S SOILS
Territory Study
At Castello di Montepò, efforts are made to increase the vineyard area of the estate through precise, long, and patient work, especially in its initial phases. For each new planting, the soil must be prepared two years in advance, starting with plowing and harrowing operations performed using a harrow, an agricultural machine that levels and breaks up the soil. Subsequently, ripping is carried out, a process that involves splitting the soil to promote the necessary deep oxygenation, and stone removal to make the soil more suitable for cultivation. After completing these stages, a drainage system for water is created, and after another harrowing, the actual layout of the new plantings is composed based on the exposures and inclinations of the terrain. After planting the cuttings, and subsequently stakes, wires, and anchors, containment crops are sown, especially with vetch, legumes, and rapeseed, to prevent soil erosion and, at the same time, provide the necessary nutrient-organic input. The hills that make up the Castello di Montepò estate are a perfect example of what it means for a piece of land to have a profound viticultural vocation. Geologically, the vineyards of the company are located on soils of marine origin from the Flysch, a sequence of clastic sedimentary rocks of syn-orogenetic Eocene origin, consisting of cyclic alternations of sandstone, clay, and marl levels. These elements contribute to making the soils lean and rich in skeletal material, supplemented by, just below the Castle, intrusive compact calcareous sandstone of the pietraforte type.
THE ART OF VITICULTURE
Vineyards of Excellence and Cultivation Techniques
At Castello di Montepò, efforts are made to increase the vineyard area of the estate through precise, long, and patient work, especially in its initial phases. For each new planting, the soil must be prepared two years in advance, starting with plowing and harrowing operations performed using a harrow, an agricultural machine that levels and breaks up the soil. Subsequently, ripping is carried out, a process that involves splitting the soil to promote the necessary deep oxygenation, and stone removal to make the soil more suitable for cultivation. After completing these stages, a drainage system for water is created, and after another harrowing, the actual layout of the new plantings is composed based on the exposures and inclinations of the terrain. After planting the cuttings, and subsequently stakes, wires, and anchors, containment crops are sown, especially with vetch, legumes, and rapeseed, to prevent soil erosion and, at the same time, provide the necessary nutrient-organic input. The hills that make up the Castello di Montepò estate are a perfect example of what it means for a piece of land to have a profound viticultural vocation. Geologically, the vineyards of the company are located on soils of marine origin from the Flysch, a sequence of clastic sedimentary rocks of syn-orogenetic Eocene origin, consisting of cyclic alternations of sandstone, clay, and marl levels. These elements contribute to making the soils lean and rich in skeletal material, supplemented by, just below the Castle, intrusive compact calcareous sandstone of the pietraforte type.