Palagetto is an organic estate winery in the San Gimignano region of Tuscany in Italy. White wines are 100% estate grown (2019) and are Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG and DOCG Riserva. Red wines are made under the Brunello di Montalcino DOCG and Chianti Colli Senesi DOCGs.
Owner: Tenute Niccolai (which see for its other estates). This was the original estate, bought by Commandante Luano Palagetto, who founded Tenute Niccolai in 1980. He began his wine-making project by buying the 4 hectares of vineyards of the Fattoria Santa Chiara in San Gimignano. In 1985 he bought the 11 hectares of vineyards of Il Poggio, also in San Gimignano. These were incorporated into what is now the Arnilù vineyards (from the initials of the names of the grandchildren Arianna, Niccolò and Luca). In 1991, another 14 hectares of vineyards were purchased in the Monteoliveto area, currently included in the body of the Palagetto Vineyards, which together with those of Villa Arnilù formed the company that has since taken the name of Palagetto in its entirety. In 1995, again from grandfather Luano, 22 hectares of vineyards were purchased in Località Racciano, which belong to the Palagetto Vineyards. In 1998, Luano, bought the vineyards of Villa Stricchi, now incorporated into the body of the Arnilù Vineyards, to guarantee the company a good slice of red grape vineyards, with a view to producing great red wines. In 2008 Sabrina Niccolai, daughter of Luano, acquired and incorporated into the Palagetto Vineyards the 26 hectare La Lucciolaia property in San Gimignano.
The Niccolai were also owners of a 5-hectare vineyard in Montalcino called Poggio Celsi–see Podere Bellarina–which they then sold (to Collemassari). In 2014 Sabrina returned to Montalcino by buying another 5-hectare estate in Castelnuovo dell’Abate to which she gave the name of the old Ilcinese company: Bellarina.
Staff: Sabrina Niccolai (commercial side), her husband Mario Fioravanti (winery & vineyards), and their daughter Arianna. Today Arianna Fioravanti, daughter of Sabrina, is the sole administrator of the group and takes care of the entire agronomic and wine-making part of the company. Arianna was born in 1993. He began to actively live corporate responsibilities since he served at the tables of the company’s farm at the age of 16. He studied at the Agricultural Technical Institute of Siena, continuing his studies by enrolling in the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Florence. At that time, when the central figure of the founder was lost, it was mother Sabrina who managed the Palagetto farm, and she took care of it until 2013 when she began to devote herself completely to the restructuring of the other family business in the camper sector (Rimor, which changed its name to Luano Camp), leaving the agricultural activity in the hands of Arianna. Sabrina’s second son, Niccolò Fioravanti, born in 1999, is already working in the company. Both of their grandfathers worked for the coop in San Gimignano it seems. The late Giacomo Tachis consulted. In 2019 Nicola Berti was consulting.
Sales: The main market for the wines in 2019 was export, with sales to 100 countries.
Vineyards: 2019 60ha of land in total, of which 53ha of vineyards. 280-320 metres. The white grapes (Vernaccia, Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Vermentino, Incrocio Manzoni) are on tufaceous soils. The red Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah grapes are on clay.
Winery: 50,000hl.
White wines
Toscana Bianco IGT Chardonnay, Arnilù: 2018 100% Chardonnay. Certified organic. From San Gimignano.
Toscana Bianco IGT Sauvignon: 2019 100% Sauvignon Blanc. Certified organic. San Gimignano.
Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG, Palagetto: 100% Vernaccia. | 2018 Certified organic. 100% stainless steel. No MLF. Modernist pineapple notes, with a decent underbelly from clay soils (2019 Anteprima).
Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG, Palagetto Ventanni: 100% Vernaccia. Mainly clay. Bit too full for me (2019 Anteprima).
Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG, Vigna Santa Chiara: 100% Vernaccia. | 2001 Bottled. | 2018 95% Vernaccia, 5% Incrocio Manzoni. 12.5% alc. 2 months in old oak.
Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG Riserva, Palagetto: 100% Vernaccia. | 2000 Bottled. | 2015 Barrel fermented and aged. Bit roasted, lacks balance and soul (2019 Anteprima).
Toscana Bianco IGT, I’Niccolo: 2001 50% each Chardonnay and Vermentino.
Red wines
Brunello de Montalcino DOCG, Bellarina: From Sangiovese at 360m. Aged in 10-20hl oak.
Chianti Colli Senesi DOCG, Palagetto
Chianti Colli Senesi DOCG Riserva, Palagetto: 1999 Bottled.
Solleone: 1998 Produced. | 1999 Produced.
Sottobosco: 2000 Sangiovese.
Other activities: Agritourism. Olives which are dressed onsite for olive oil.
Contact
Palagetto
Via Monteolivetto, 46
I-53037 San Gimignano (SI), Italy
Tel+39 0577.942098 | Website www.palagetto.it/en