RESPECT FOR THE TERROIR AND THE SINCERITY OF THE WINESIt all starts with a plot of land and four seasons to await
Sanlorenzo is situated on the South-West slope of the municipality of Montalcino at an altitude of 500 metres on the ridge of the hills which stretch softly from Civitella to the Ombrone river.
The land extends on the two sides of the hills, with the forest to the North and the Val d’Arbia and the vineyards exposed to the South-West and the Maremma.
From a geological point of view, the Azienda Agricola Sanlorenzo is characterised by the outcrop of the Formation of Santa Fiora, dating back to between the Upper Cretaceous and the Lower Ecocene (approximately 40 million years ago). These are alternating layers of hazel grey-coloured or sometimes green or red clay (marl), with decimetric, grey coloured stone layers of calcarenites and fine limestones.
These are located on the property’s Southern slope and are exposed to the South or the West depending on the natural morphology of the terrain. There are 7 hectares in total, all Sangiovese, the first planted in 1972, and the last in 2018. The type of blend is Cordon and Guyot. The number of plants per hectare changes depending on the age of the vines, from 3000 of the oldest to 4500 for the newer.
SELECTION AND MANUAL CULTIVATION OF THE GRAPES AND LOW YIELDS PER HECTAREThe sun rises early that day and sets late for the Sanlorenzo harvesters, but eventually everyone, even the vines, will have their well-deserved, albeit short, rest.
The Winery
There is still a long way to go from the vine to the glass, just as long and necessary as their rest will be.
Straight after picking, the grapes are transported to the winery and carefully destalked. The grapes are crushed and everything is put into appropriate steel tanks where fermentation occurs and the subsequent maceration which usually lasts about 25 days at temperatures ranging from 28 degrees on the first days to 20 on the last days. During this time, the wine is periodically removed and racked.
Once vinification is complete, the wine is moved to steel tanks. The wine that is destined to become Rosso di Montalcino is placed into old barriques, where it will remain for approximately 12 months. After this, the wine is bottled. Rosso di Montalcino is put on sale in the spring of the second year after the harvest. The Brunello is put to rest in large wooden 30 hectolitre casks for another two years.
At the end of this long period, it is put into steel for the required time and then bottled and left to rest for at least another 4 months. Brunello di Montalcino is placed onto the market from the January of the fifth year after the harvest.
FROM THE LAND OF BRAMANTE TO THE WINE OF LUCIANO3 generations from Montalcino committed to the production of high-quality wines within their own winery in a strictly family structure
From Bramante’s soilto Luciano’s wine
It was in the late 19th century when Lorenzo Ferretti, who lived in a farmhouse in the hills to the South-West of Montalcino, decided to buy some land where he could build a house. The place was called Rogarelli, and it was here that he started his family; he had 7 children, including Guido. Guido Ferretti married Teresina Caselli and they had two children; Bramante and Giovanni.
His 7 children, and his grandchildren continued to live at Rogarelli but the farmhouse was too small for them all and so in 1950 Guido and his family decided to purchase another piece of land and to establish their farm, they bought some land that bordered Rogarella from the Argiano estate. When it came to giving it a name, they decided to call it Sanlorenzo in memory of their grandfather.
Guido died in 1960 and his youngest son decided to move away from Montalcino to go and live in Siena and work in a factory. Bramante and his wife, Adele, in spite of having two daughters (Gigliola and Fiorella), took over the farm and its workload as they did not want to leave. At that time it was a strong decision because it was the time when many were leaving the countryside to go and live in the cities. Furthermore Sanlorenzo and this area of Montalcino was extremely poor and life was hard.
At that time, viticulture was solely for family use, they had about a hectare of vineyards mixed with olive trees and they produced some wine for their home; their livelihood came from the production of firewood, from rearing pigs, cows and sheep, as well as farmyard animals such as chickens and rabbits.
In 1972, Fiorella married Paolo Ciolfi from Val d’Orcia, thereby giving fresh impetus to Sanlorenzo, they decided to focus on rearing livestock and built a modern barn, but at the same time they began planting a modern vineyard, one in 1972 and another in 1992, but the grape production was sold to other wineries.
Paolo and Fiorella had three children; Luciano, Luciana and Luca. After completing their studies, Luciano and Luciana went their separate ways; the former going to work for a winery in Montalcino, and Luciana got married and moved to Cinigiano. In 1997, Luciano, in the euphoria surrounding the boom in Montalcino and Brunello, returned to work at Sanlorenzo, deciding to take it down what seemed to be the best road; that of wine production.
Five hectares of new vineyards were planted, the farm closed in 2000 and it began to operate as a winery. The first year to be produced was 2003.
Bramante died in 2016, by now 101 years and six months old, and in the same year Luciana returned to take her place at Sanlorenzo.
The sun rises early that day,
and sets late for the grape pickers at Sanlorenzo,
but in the end, everyone, even the vines,
will have their deserved,
if short lived, rest.
In 1972, Fiorella married Paolo Ciolfi from Val d’Orcia, thereby giving fresh impetus to Sanlorenzo, they decided to focus on rearing livestock and built a modern barn, but at the same time they began planting a modern vineyard, one in 1972 and another in 1992, but the grape production was sold to other wineries.
Paolo and Fiorella had three children; Luciano, Luciana and Luca. After completing their studies, Luciano and Luciana went their separate ways; the former going to work for a winery in Montalcino, and Luciana got married and moved to Cinigiano. In 1997, Luciano, in the euphoria surrounding the boom in Montalcino and Brunello, returned to work at Sanlorenzo, deciding to take it down what seemed to be the best road; that of wine production.
Five hectares of new vineyards were planted, the farm closed in 2000 and it began to operate as a winery. The first year to be produced was 2003.
Bramante died in 2016, by now 101 years and six months old, and in the same year Luciana returned to take her place at Sanlorenzo.
The sun rises early that day,
and sets late for the grape pickers at Sanlorenzo,
but in the end, everyone, even the vines,
will have their deserved,
if short lived, rest.