Cerbaiona is a small but highly regarded Brunello di Montalcino producer of the Toscana wine region, Italy. Cerbaiona's Brunello and Rosso di Montalcino wines are considered to be some of the very best in Montalcino.
Diego Molinari purchased the Cerbaiona estate with his wife, Nora, in the late 1970s, on his retirement. He was influenced by the older bottles of Brunello he tasted, particularly those made by Biondi Santi, and chose to dedicate himself to making wine in the traditional method, rather than following more modern trends. He planted the vineyard with Sangiovese cuttings from Biondi Santi, and the first vintage of Cerbaiona was released in 1982.
Located just east of the town of Montalcino, the three hectare (7 acre) vineyard is half planted to Brunello on a part of the hill where the grapes can reach full ripeness but remain structured and bright. Grapes are hand-harvested, fermented in cement tanks, then aged in Slovenian casks for four years or more. This is a far cry from the modern, ripe style of Brunello, and Cerbaiona considers it more indicative of the terroir.
WINERY PRESENTATION
