2024 Cerbaiona Rosso Toscana

Cerbaiona began when former Alitalia pilot Diego Molinari purchased the estate in 1977, replanting its small vineyard with cuttings from Biondi-Santi and committing to traditional Brunello methods. Early bottlings in the 1980s quickly earned cult status, driven by the site’s historic reputation, cool microclimate, and low-yield Sangiovese. A major transition came in 2015, when Molinari sold the property to a group led by Gary Rieschel and Matthew Fioretti, who immediately converted the estate to organic farming and began replanting with site-specific Sangiovese clones. From 2016 onward, Cerbaiona undertook a radical reconstruction of its winery, adding a second subterranean level supported by 1.5 km of micropiles. The new facility functions as a “wine atelier,” with cobalt-blue resin-lined vinification rooms, custom steel vats, a laboratory overlooking the cellar, and a vaulted barrel room designed for long aging. Production remains intentionally small: 10,000–15,000 bottles of Brunello and 3,000–5,000 bottles of Rosso di Montalcino per year, with occasional small Sangiovese IGT lots. Fioretti’s team has refined the cellar approach—shorter macerations and increased use of 350-liter French barriques, followed by extended rest in unlined concrete tanks—aiming for polished wines that still express Cerbaiona’s distinctive terroir.