Vallepicciola

A few kilometres from the city of Siena, heading east towards Arezzo, is the small village of Castelnuovo Berardenga. This small inland Tuscan town, full of charm, culture and history, is nestled between the final hills of the Chianti Classico region and the Arbia river, and is surrounded by ancient stately residences, noble castles and framed by extraordinary vineyards and centuries-old olive trees. Right here, on the easternmost side, Bruno Bolfo, madly in love with the ancient history of Tuscany, decided in 1980 to create the Vallepicciola project, starting with a few hectares and an old convent.
Today, the Vallepicciola winery has made great strides and has an area of 265 hectares of which 65 are dedicated to viticulture, which will become 100 with the addition of new plantings. Sangiovese is the king of the area, flanked by international classics such as Cabernet, Pinot Noir, Petit Verdot and Chardonnay, which have adapted perfectly to these noble lands. The winery was designed by architect Margherita Gozzi and is a beautiful model of eco-sustainability. In fact, it is sunk in a natural basin and was designed with great respect for the environment. The 6,000 square metres of the structure are spread over three floors, two of which are underground and dedicated exclusively to vinification, ageing and storage. The only portion above ground is used for receptions and more commercial functions. However, what fascinates and attracts people to this establishment is the quality of the wines produced, which is always surprising and extraordinary.

With such a vast territorial patchwork, which alternates between soils of clay, marl, tuff, sand and sandstone, there is clearly an incredible variability, capable of producing wines with very different characteristics. The different exposures, the morphology of the land and the prestigious Chianti terroir are the main ingredients for giving birth to bottles with a unique and special character. The winemaking process relies on the most modern technologies and the valuable technical advice of the enologist Riccardo Cottarella. Ageing takes place mainly in wood in the deepest rooms of the estate.

Vallepicciola's wines breathe and taste of Tuscany. They are conceived from a strong relationship between man and nature and, even more so, from a unique combination of the territory's elements: castles, villages and vineyards. The collection boasts three lines of Chianti: Classico, Gran Selezione and Riserva. There are also red wines made from Bordeaux grapes such as Pievasciata and Quercegrosse, and white wines with an international flavour. The estate's logo is also very interesting, featuring the messy face of King Berardo. Legend has it that the king, after years of conquests, rode his horse into Tuscany in search of a new land to conquer. Tired and conflicted, he found shelter in a cellar in Valle Picciola. The inhabitants offered him a goblet of their best wine and after the first sip his beard straightened up, after the second his eye became pious and after the third he bowed down. The king was so fascinated by the wine that he decided to establish his royal residence there. Between legend, modernity and tradition, the prestigious Vallepicciola wines are born.