Fattoria del Cerro is a winery in the Montepulciano region of Tuscany. It makes Chianti Colli Senesi DOCG, Rosso di Montepulciano DOC, and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG red wines, plus a Vin Santo di Montepulciano DOC.

Owner: Tenute del Cerro S.p.A. since 1978. See here for Tenute del Cerro S.p.A’s other wine estates in Italy.

Staff: CEO: Vincenzo Tassinari. | Commercial Director: Giovanni Lai. | Oen consultant: Riccardo Cotarella started here in 2010 [seems to have replaced Lorenzo Landi]. | Manager: Guido Sodano. | PR: Tiziana Mazzetti. | External relations: Marco Castignani (+39 340.1384700).

Vineyards: 2015 On Monday 09th Nov 2015 Marco Castignani told me by telephone the estate comprised 181ha of vines of which 93ha of Vino Nobile. The vines are mainly in the southern sector of Montepulciano at Argiano and Vicroce. He said the terrain was comprised of clay and sceletro. “We have a large estate, which allows us to select the best grapes for the Vino Nobile.” He said the studies by the University and Pisa found three biotypes of Prugnolo Gentile (Sangiovese) called Grifo, Bravìo and Brescello from which they take cuttings when replanting. In terms of style he said “we want something with immediacy, elegance, drinkability and freshness. We do not want the fruit to taste heavy, oaky or overly alcoholic. We do not use oak barrels as we do not want an oaky taste. The wines are aged in large Slavonian oak vats.”

2018 600 hectares of land of which 181 hectares of vines. Of this 94ha of Vino Nobile (making Fattoria del Cerro the biggest privately owned producer of Vino Nobile), 50ha of Rosso di Montepulciano, 20.4ha of Chianti Colli Senesi, and 0.3ha of Vin Santo di Montepulciano. Older vines at 3,300 vines/hectare. Newer ones at 5,000 vines per hectare. Pliocene era soil containing fossilised (sea) shells and stones. Average altitude of 350-450 metres.

Native wine grapes: Colorino & Pugnitello. Nicolas Belfrage (2001, p.140) said the estate was ‘among the most important planters of Colorino in Tuscany with over 20 hectares as winemaker Lorenzo Landi considers Colorino vital for the depth of colour and polyphenols it adds to their wines; and like San Felice, Fattoria del Cerro was also working on Pugnitello as a valid native blending variety.

Winery: Stainless steel for fermentation.

Other crops: 241ha of arable land, 180ha of woodland, 13ha of olive groves.

White wines

Toscana Bianco IGT Bravìolo: 2001 Bottled.

Cerro Bianco: 2001 100% Chardonnay.

Manero Bianco: 2012 Estery-creamy central Italian white wine flavours–greengage and sour cream–then a somewhat phenolic finish (2014 Anteprima).

Red wines

Chianti Colli Senesi DOCG

Rosso di Montepulciano DOC: 2018 Plump simple cherry fruit (2019 Anteprima).

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG, Fattoria del Cerro: 2015 100% Sangiovese. Bright red fruit and vanilla, lightish weight, easy texture, well styled if a bit technical (Anteprima 2018). | 2016 100% Sangiovese. 300,000 bottles. Plump cherry fruit and smooth oak (Anteprima 2019).

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG, Antica Chiusina: A selection from the best vineyards. 90% Sangiovese, 10% Colorino. | 1998 Bottled. | 1999 Bottled.

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG Riserva, Fattoria del Cerro: 2002 Coffee nose with French oak, some concentration of fruit, slightly bitter end (Consorzio 8 March 2005). | 2011 Deepish red shows promise but the fruit is a bit stretched and stewy (2014 Anteprima). | 2014 New oak and thick polished fruit (2018 Anteprima).

Poggio Golo: 2000 Merlot-based. 24 months in barrel.

Manero Rosso: 2000 100% Sangiovese. 24 months in barrel.

Sweet wines

Corte Oro Bianco: A late harvest white from 50% each Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc planted in 1996 and first made in 2001 (Rosemary George MW 2004, p.197). | 2001 “Fermented in oak. 2,000 half bottles. No obvious botrytis on the nose,” (Rosemary George MW, ibid). | 2010 Sweet-tasting, light and a bit dull and stretched (Anteprima 2014).

Bibliography

Nicolas Belfrage MW, From Brunello to Zibibbo—The Wines of Tuscany, Central and Southern Italy (2nd edition, London, 2003).

Rosemary George MW, Treading Grapes (London, 2004).

Contact

Fattoria del Cerro

Via Grazianella, 5

I-53045 Montepulciano (SI), Italy

Tel+39 0578.767722 | www.tenutedelcerro.it/en