The Nobile Wine and its magical places
Montepulciano, just 20 minutes from our hotel, is a medieval town perched on a hill from which you can enjoy a breathtaking view both on the famous Val d’Orcia and on the splendid Val di Chiana, in a panorama that ranges from rolling hills covered with olive trees and vineyards, to pine and chestnut woods.
A village rich in history, characterized above all by its numerous underground cellars dug into the tuff and located under some of the most beautiful buildings in the historic center, where you can admire the huge oak barrels completely handmade. Entry is generally free; you can still book a guided visit and tasting of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOC, Rosso di Montepulciano DOC and typical products for a fee, both for a single company and for a real tour of the underground cellars of Montepulciano.
Among the most suggestive:
• Città Sotterranea Ercolani: evocative Gothic-Renaissance atmosphere, with its passages and tunnels, hidden crypts and descents in stone stairs. In addition to the oak barrels, you will encounter small fountains, two authentic Etruscan tombs, and 3 small museums with exhibits related to the history of cellars and the art of viticulture.
• Crociani: both the aging of the Vino Nobile produced by this company and the bottling operation takes place in the fourteenth-century cellars, to the delight of visitors who thus have the opportunity to witness this working phase.
• De ‘Ricci: the Ricci family was born in 1150; Palazzo Ricci, one of the most beautiful Renaissance palaces in the city, was commissioned by Cardinal Giovanni Ricci in 1534 to the best architect of the time, the Sienese Baldassarre Peruzzi and was finished building in 1562. The Cantina de’Ricci was part of the palace project , however, it was built on previous medieval structures. She also became famous for appearing in the movie Twilight – New Moon.
• Talosa: a visit to the cellars of Talosa takes you back in time to 1500, the time to which they date back. The galleries, built entirely of brick, alternate in a succession of vaults and niches where the barrels are placed. As per tradition, the Historic Cellar houses large oak barrels in which Vino Nobile di Montepulciano matures. The oldest 115hl capacity barrels are 44 years old and thanks to them the company’s first bottle of Vino Nobile was obtained in 1972.
• Contucci: the Contucci family had already cultivated vines since the Renaissance and in fact, they were among the “putative fathers” of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (document dated 1773), making a decisive contribution to making it famous throughout the world. The construction of the Contucci Cellars dates back to an epoch prior to that of the palace of the same name (also home to Pope Julius III and Grand Duke Ferdinando I) built in the 16th century by Antonio da Sangallo il Veccio and internally frescoed by Andrea Pozzo.
• Gattavecchi: historic family from Montepulciano, engaged for four generations in wine production. With the purchase in 1958 of the Simoneschi-Baroncelli winery, formerly belonging to the fourteenth-century convent of Padri Serviti, the Nobile Gattavecchi is placed to mature in the underground caves and in the rooms of the ancient convent, adjacent to the church of Santa Maria dei Servi. Upstairs, the ancient dining hall and the panoramic terrace offer a unique setting for tasting the company’s wines and oil.
