Lisini, Tuscany

Lisini is one of Montalcino's oldest wine estates. The Clementi family, being of Jewish origin from Venice, fought alongside the Medicis in their conquest of Montalcino, for which Capt. Silvio Clementi was rewarded with the Pecci palace in Montalcino, as well as buying another propriety in Sant’Angelo in Colle.

Today, signor Filippo Paoletti is responsible for making the five traditional wines, using cement and large oak casks: San Biagio IGT Toscano Rosso, Rosso di Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino Riserva, Ugolaia Brunello di Montalcino Riserva (a single vineyard wine).

The ‘Casanova’ estate at Sant'Angelo in Colle, to give it its correct name, covers 154 hectares, of which 20ha are planted with the vine at approx.350 msl on 2 million year old Eocene sandy, clay and silt soils with a significant percentage of iron. Lisini’s first bottling took place in 1967, coinciding with that of the original twelve producers of the Brunello di Montalcino Consorzio. Cement tanks arrived in 1973, with Mario Rossi Ferrini the enologist during the 1970s.

Lisini's history stretches back to the original Clementi family. In 1846 Francesca Clementi married Lodivico Lisini at their Sant’Angelo in Colle estate; Lodovico being a Sienese proprietor of then much prized vineyards in Radda-in-Chianti, bearing Alessandro, who preferred administration to agriculture, and a daughter Emma, who took charge of the Chianti estate.  Alessandro married Elina Paluffi in 1876, giving them a son Lodovico, an anti-fascist and a lawyer, who inherited the Sant’Angelo in Colle and immediately dedicated himself to the propriety. From his marriage to Caterina Ciampolini were born Maria (mother of Carlo and Lorenzo), Elina, Alessandro (father of Lodovica), and Giovangualberto.

With Lodovico’s death in 1950, his daughter Elina took over with passion and tenacity, believing in the estate’s potential and initiating the very first bottling until her death in 2009. Indeed the Lisini was among the founding fathers of the first Brunello di Montalcino Consorzio in 1963; with Elina becoming one of its Presidents. Today Carlo and Lorenzo (sons of Maria), and Lodovica (daughter of Alessandra) uphold the family tradition and continue her great work.

David Berry Green