Collelceto is an oganic estate winery in Località Camigliano in the south-west of the Montalcino region of Tuscany. It was acquired in the early 20th-century by Simone Palazzesi. He was succeeded by his son Ulyssee and then by the latter’s son Remo and then by Remo’s son Elia Palazzesi. Elia is married to Michela Canapicchi. Red wines are made under the Rosso di Montalcino DOC and Brunello di Montalcino DOCG. 

Terroir: A 7ha hectare estate in south-west Montalcino. 150-180 meters altitude. Elia says his great-grandfather [Ulyssee] identified the site as a good one for agriculture. The soil was rich in clay-loam (‘franco-argilloso’), sand and scheletro, lying mainly at between 150-180 metres above sea level and up to 200m, in a canyon open to the south-west onto the Ombrone valley and thus exposed to cooling coastal breezes. Hills covered in woodland to the rear offer protection from storms. From 1982 Elia’s father [Remo] planted his first 1.5ha of vines, and between 1995 and 2000 Elia added another 5.5ha. Vine density is 3,000-4,100 vines per ha. Elia told me he had 7ha of Sangiovese vines on an estate of 120ha all in one block (this includes 25ha of cereals, 80ha of woodland, and 2ha of olives (Anteprima 2015). The vines are surrounded by holm oaks (‘elce or ‘Leccio’ in Italian), hence this area is also called Colle delle Elci.

Organic certification: 2014 First vintage with full organic certification.

Winemaking: Lorenzo Landi consults. The wines ferment in stainless steel and age in oak vats.

Red wines

Toscana Rosso IGT, Spepo: 100% Sangiovese. Unoaked and bottled in the spring following the harvest.

Rosso di Montalcino DOCG, Collelceto: From vines at 130 metres. 4,180 vines per ha. | 2012 Fermented in and MLF in steel. 6-8 months in botti from Jan-Sept usually. 10,000 bottles. Just bottled, nice fruit, nice weight (Anteprima 2014). | 2013 10,000 bottles. Ripe red berries, clear style (Anteprima 2015). | 2014 Simple but nice saline fruit (Anteprima 2016).

Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Collelceto: From vines at 130 metres. 4,500 vines per ha. | 2000 Mid-weight, soft chocolate and berry, a bit over-sexy (Anteprima 2005). | 2009 10,000 bottles. Slightly fading (Anteprima 2014). | 2010 Youthful, quite tannic, warm and wild with nice weight and richness, saline (Anteprima 2015). | 2011 Easy red fruitiness, strawberry, easy weight, fluid, well-judged extraction (Anteprima 2016). | 2018 12,000 bottles.

Brunello di Montalcino DOCG Riserva, Elia: From vines at 130 metres. 4,500 vines per ha. | 2007 Made. | 2008 Not made. | 2009 Not made. | 2010 Riper and with a bit more flesh than the 2011 normale with new oak red cherry notes (Anteprima 2016).

Contact

Azienda Agricola Collelceto di Elia Palazzesi

Podere La Pisana

53024 Montalcino (SI), Italy

Tel+39 0577.816606 | Website: See here.