Citille di Sopra is an estate winery in the Torrenieri sub-region of Montalcino. it was founded in 1957 by Fulvio Innocenti, father of Fabio who succeeded him in 1997.

Owner: Fabio Innocenti. Same family as Innocenti (Montalcino) which see–need to find out what exactly the relationship is between them. Fabio’s parents [names?] passed him some of the farm in 1992, then in 1997 Fabio began planting vines.

Staff: Oen cons: Luano Bensi.

Vineyards: On 14th April 2015 Fabio Innocenti said he managed nearly 300 hectares of land in total, of which 5.5 hectares was vineyard (100% owned). 100% spurred cordon (cordone speronato). 2.80m x 0.90m = just under 4,000 vines/ha. West-facing towards Montalcino. The highest and largest plot (in which I photographed him) is called ‘Vigna Grande’ (3.3 hectares, planted 1999; 300-310 metres). The middle vineyard is ‘Ronconi’–see below. The lowest vineyard comprises 1.2 hectares planted in 2001 and lies at roughly 240-250 metres. It occupies yellow sand (the only one of his vineyards with this soil type). Enzo Tiezzi had told me on 09th April 2015 that this lower vineyard had an interesting terroir for Torrenieri due to the presence of this yellow sand in its iron-rich soils. However, on a practical level Fabio Innocenti said its very friability made it quite hard to work by machine because the tools (ripper, plough) on the machine can easily slip too deep into the ground.

Other crops: Cereals.

Winemaking: Hand picked. Steel tanks (150hl). Aged in 40-60hl Slavonian oak botti in an underground cellar. They have their own bottling line.

Red wines

Toscana Rosso IGT: 2010 Bottled

Rosso di Montalcino DOC, Citille di Sopra: 2011 Medium crimson core. Limpid rim. Clean nose, broad and authoritative without being obviously weighty; clear though and slightly wild, appealing, sits well; very elegant tannins here, punchy red fruit, red plum skins, textured, clear tannins well expressed; tidy aftertaste too (At the consorzio with Ian d’Agata Tuesday 28th May 2013.). Digestible. | 2012 6,000 bottles. Quite tight and simple (Anteprima 2014). Nice rich berries, plum (Anteprima 2015). | 2014 Just bottled. Simple. Bit of funk (Anteprima 2016). | 2018 Rosso Citille di Sopra 14%: Light menthol, clear, simple. A bit blurred but OK for most. Bit of bite on the palate but nice juiciness too. Good (Col di Lamo, June 2021).

Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Citille di Sopra: 2000 High tone, high alcohol, and new wood, ephemeral and dull  (Anteprima 2005). | 2009 23,500 bottles. Simple and tight, bit too extracted (Anteprima 2014). | 2009 L BM-09/01. Meaty nose, almost like chicken broth. Evolved garnet colour. Not much fruit here, some faint hints of raspberry and cherry but overall rather dry, flat, simple, dilute and bitter at the Consorzio Tues 27th May 2014 with Ian d’Agata and others. | 2010 25,740 bottles. Nice sweet warm, sticky thick tannin (Anteprima 2015). | 2011 Simple and a bit green (Anteprima 2016). |  2016 15% Alc. Nice and dense if a little bit rustic (Col di Lamo, June 2021).

Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Vigna Poggio Ronconi: Named after the hill the vines are on but in fact the plot is like a little plateau. Planted 1999. N-S rows. 1 hectare. 420A. Two clones. 280 metres. | 2009 6,300 bottles. Simple, green, tough at (Anteprima 2014). | 2009 14.5%. BMV-09/01. Bacon nose. Bit green, with some well-hidden but potentially attractive ripe raspberry fruit. Savoury tannins, weight is good but you need a bit more clarity and definition for this to rise above the everyday (tasted at the Consorzio Tues 27th May 2014 with Ian d’Agata and others). | 2010 6,350 bottles. Sweet fruit, well made, nice fruit (Anteprima 2015). | 2011 Bit of stink (Anteprima 2016). | 2016 15% Alc. Nice and dense if a little bit rustic (Col di Lamo, June 2021). 

Brunello di Montalcino DOCG Riserva, Citille di Sopra: 2010 Bit extracted, also some fade on nose and palate (Anteprima 2016).

Contact

Azienda Agricola Citille di Sopra

Podere Citille di Sopra, 46

Fraz. Torrenieri

53024 Montalcino (SI), Italy

Tel+39 0577.832749 | Website: www.citille.com