~ Pizza night! A fun, relaxing treasure of the Rustic Tuscany Tour ~
Tuscany charms in many ways. Often times, the allure seems obvious; the bucolic scenery, the rustic food and of course the wonderful wines. But as we often discover during the Rustic Tuscany Tour, charming moments can be found in unexpected places.
Poggio Stenti may not grace the cover of Wine Spectator magazine, and that’s OK. Tucked into a quiet corner of Montenero d’Orcia, this family run farm is a hidden treasure. Our stop here for a tasting of recent releases over a grand lunch is always a highlight for me.
Poggio Stenti lies in the Montecucco denomination. Their range of wines includes a darling rosato, a crisp Vernaccia and two of my favorite red wines. The Pieri’s pride themselves on their products. From wine, to meats, vegetables and saffron, it’s all grown or made on the estate. Kilometer zero is their philosophy.
~ The antipasto is always a treasure. A range of cured meats, all from animals raised by the family and sold at Carlo’s butcher shop in town, anchors the event. Fried porcini and assorted bruschetta accompany ~
The antipasto is excellent for the Montecucco Rosso and it’s equally delightful with their Vermentino and Rosato. But in what has come to seem like an annual tradition, the pasta course here ends up being one of my favorite things from the trip. 2025, no exception.
~ Homemade pappardelle with porcini and guanciale. Simple, sublime. There wasn’t a morsel left ~
The Poggio Stenti 2019 Tribulo was a wonderful accompaniment to this dish. I’ve had Tribulo many times and in fact, bought more on the Tour. It’s a tremendous value and as soulful as the Pieri’s food and warmth.
~ Eleonora Pieri drawing a tank sample of two day old Sangiovese. This batch, likely destined for the ’25 Tribulo~
The Abbey at Sant’Antimo is an iconic Tuscan landscape, having graced the pages of many calendars. But it was the quiet, reflective nature of this holy site that impacted my guests far more than I expected. I wasn’t sure we would utilize the full amount of time we allocated for this visit in our itinerary. But those concerns would be quickly dashed….
~ The Abbey at Sant’Antimo is an iconic Tuscan landscape ~
The inside of the Abbey is particularly austere, in full Romanesque style. Yet somehow it manages to be ornate. There is an air of reverence that abounds, yet it seems contained – restricted from permeating the stone walls of the church. It is no doubt, a peaceful place of reflection.
~ I’ve left this picture a bit larger than normal to appreciate the grandeur of the altar ~
Just in front of the Altar, there is a small underground crypt you can descend into. Called the Cripta Carolingia, this narrow space dates to the Abbey’s early Carolingian origins and originally housed the relics of Saint Antimo. Pilgrims were permitted to view them through a rectangular opening. The crypt features a simple barrel vault, a 16th-century fresco lunette of Christ rising from the sepulchre, and a Roman tombstone from 347 AD that has been repurposed as its altar. It’s both deeply ritualistic and goose bump inducing at the same time.
~ A closer image of the Altar ~
Outside the back of the Church, you can see how randomly some of the stones were cut and used to form the walls. Over the years, repairs have been made and those are also easily noted for their difference and obscurity compared to originals.
~ In this picture you can see the multiple changes in the shape and color of the stone. Additionally, note the angular cuts beneath the slim, vertical windows at the top ~
I have been a fan of the wines from Gagliole for years. Despite the foreign ownership interest, the family in charge are steadfast devotees of Tuscany and have retained an amazing team. The fact that the people I have known there have been there for a decade speaks volumes.
~ The lineup for our recent tasting. The entire line is impressive ~
While I expected the reds to deliver, I was very pleasantly surprised by the Il Bianco. This is a blend of 60% Trebbiano, 30% Malvasia Bianco and 10% Viognier. It was incredibly fragrant with a crisp, but viscous body. It displayed marked salinity and sapidity. I shipped some home! For 2023, this was a masterpiece.
I took what I call “casual notes” during this tasting. Generally on the tour, I don’t take notes. But I am always a little confused by the array of high end reds from Gagliole, so I wanted to jot some details down.
~ Strolling around Gagliole. The estate has vineyards and incredible properties in both Castellina and Panzano. However, now the hospitality and cellars are in Panzano ~
Assaggio di Gagliole Rosso
2020 Riserva – This is 100% Sangiovese from Panzano. Loaded with cherry. Fresh, sapid with hints of dusty spices. Very well balanced, medium bodied and elegant.
2021 Gagliole – This is 100% Sangiovese from Panzano. Although this could easily be denoted as a Gran Selezione, they continue to label it as an IGT. This comes from some of Gagliole’s highest and oldest vineyards. Black cherry and mushroom on the nose. Lots of dusty tannins which are ripe and well integrated. Gagliole believes 2021 to be the best vintage ever for the estate in Panzano.
The next two wines are both Gran Selezione. One hails from Castellina and the other Panzano.
2021 Gallule Gran Selezione – This is 100% Sangiovese from Castellina where the vineyards providing the fruit are now 60 years of age. “Gallule” is the ancient Etruscan reference for Gagliole. This is so impressive. I got so caught up in it all I wrote was “incredibly elegant black fruits. Pure, wow!”
2018 Pecchia Gran Selezione – This is also 100% Sangiovese, but from Panzano. The Pecchia vineyard is the highest vineyard owned by Gagliole. Super, gorgeous ripe fruit here. Depth of aroma and flavor. A masterpiece for this vintage in Chianti Classico. (I bought some)
~ More sights strolling around Gagliole ~
A random shot of Montepulciano in the quiet morning, while we waited for our meeting with Andrea Contucci.
~ Montepulciano captivates me. It is much larger, and with lots more to offer, than say Montalcino. Only Siena rivals it for me. ~
The Contucci’s have been crafting amazing wine in Montepulciano since 1008. That is hard to fathom. When your host greets your guests and says, “Welcome to my house. This is our new home, previously we lived just up the street. This has been our home now for the last 600 years;” You know you’ve arrived somewhere special.
~ What’s also special is tasting with Andrea Contucci. He crafts an array of Vino Nobile that are beautiful wines, typical and affordable ~
About a year ago I penned this lengthy article about this aristocratic family from Montepulciano. But you would never know it. Andrea is as charming, as warm and as humble as a man can be.
For me, it’s hard to talk about any one of Andrea’s Nobile as standing out. The Estate Nobile (tan label) is often times my favorite. It’s a blend of all his vineyards and a tremendous value. For me, it’s the perfect snapshot of whatever vintage we’re tasting.
The Il Mulino and Pietra Rossa are site specific – from vineyards on the west and east side of Montepulciano, respectively. They are single vineyard wines and are markedly different from each other.
The Palazzo Contucci, the Cru of the Palace, is a blend of the best grapes from all three areas and is his flagship wine. I often enjoy this one the most. However, it’s not a given. And that’s why we keep going back. That, and the amazing hospitality.
~ Montepulciano in the morning midst from the vineyards of our Agriturismo ~
There’s a lot coming from Tuscan Vines over the next few months. Tasting Reports on Brunello 2020, Feature Articles on Campo alla Sughera, Tenuta del Terriccio, Vignamaggio and more. It’s going to be an exciting time. So to borrow a phrase from Sir Scotty over at NFL Red Zone, “buckle up”!
Salute!
