Azienda Agricola Le Ragnaie

Le Ragnaie is a relative newcomer to the region. It was established by husband and wife Riccardo and Jennifer Campinoti in 2002, when they bought a small podere that had made wine on a small scale since 1991. From 2006 they started to add carefully selected plots of vines across three distinctly different zones of Montalcino.

Le Ragnaie itself is in the centre of the region at its highest point, lying at close to 550m above sea level. Vineyards here are south-facing. Petroso is one of the oldest wine-making zones lying below Montalcino village, and Castelnuovo dell’Abate lies even further south, facing Monte Amiata guarding the south-eastern border of the region. In 2015 a new vineyard was added to their collection, this time to the north of the town of Montalcino, in the famed and highly sought-after vineyard of Montosoli, now officially recognised as a single cru. Their vineyards are managed organically.

Today the estate covers 15 hectares of vines, and with such diverse terroirs the estate has chosen to follow a philosophy of allowing each plot to express its own individual identity. Six Brunelli are produced, one a blend combining fruit from all four distinct zones, with five others each the fruit of a single cru. All are traditionally made, with fermentation and extended maceration in concrete vats, followed by ageing for 36 months in large Slavonian oak casks.

Riccardo’s gentle approach to winemaking, inspired by his love of Burgundy, gives their wines a charm and accessibility that belies their subtle power, allied to a vitality, freshness and precision born of the fruit from some of the region’s highest and coolest vineyards.

A property to watch… and follow!