Podere Salicutti
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At Podere Salicutti, in the Montalcino commune of Tuscany, Francesco Leanza has been making wine with humility, maturity, and conviction for nearly 25 years. As the first organically certified estate in Montalcino, Salicutti prides itself on wines that showcase the uninhibited brilliance of its terroir.
In the Tuscany region of Italy, a pleasant hour-and-a-half drive south from Florence, the three Salicutti vineyards extend out from the original farmhouse (that also serves as winery, cellar, and lodging) and offer up some of the most carefully cultivated Sangiovese in the region. Leanza has always insisted on manual tending of the vines and soil during the spring months, followed by a meticulous harvest, hand picking each cluster at its peak ripeness each October.
In 1990, relocating from Rome following a career in chemical engineering, Leanza bought the 11-hectare property with the express intention of growing vines on the land. By 1994 he had planted four hectares of Sangiovese on three adjoining plots, which over the years have remained largely unchanged, except for some small additions in 2001 and 2007 to the Sorgente and Piaggione vineyards, respectively.
Leanza maintains his unwavering commitment to natural winemaking, now in partnership with the new owners: the Eichbauer family, who bought the estate from him in 2016 under the condition that he stay on as head winemaker. Leanza’s focus on fostering typicity and the fullest expression of Podere Salicutti’s strengths results in uniquely beautiful and complex wines that never fail to delight.
In the Tuscany region of Italy, a pleasant hour-and-a-half drive south from Florence, the three Salicutti vineyards extend out from the original farmhouse (that also serves as winery, cellar, and lodging) and offer up some of the most carefully cultivated Sangiovese in the region. Leanza has always insisted on manual tending of the vines and soil during the spring months, followed by a meticulous harvest, hand picking each cluster at its peak ripeness each October.
In 1990, relocating from Rome following a career in chemical engineering, Leanza bought the 11-hectare property with the express intention of growing vines on the land. By 1994 he had planted four hectares of Sangiovese on three adjoining plots, which over the years have remained largely unchanged, except for some small additions in 2001 and 2007 to the Sorgente and Piaggione vineyards, respectively.
Leanza maintains his unwavering commitment to natural winemaking, now in partnership with the new owners: the Eichbauer family, who bought the estate from him in 2016 under the condition that he stay on as head winemaker. Leanza’s focus on fostering typicity and the fullest expression of Podere Salicutti’s strengths results in uniquely beautiful and complex wines that never fail to delight.
Podere Salicutti
At Podere Salicutti, in the Montalcino commune of Tuscany, Francesco Leanza has been making wine with humility, maturity, and conviction for nearly 25 years. As the fi...
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