| Region of production: | Brunello di Montalcino |
| Winery Location: | Sant’Angelo in Colle |
| Year Established: | 1581 |
Vineyard Holdings
50 ha
southwest of Montalcino at 1,000 feet elevation; soil is marly limestone and clay
- Vignoni: the oldest vineyard at Argiano
Top Wines Produced
- Brunello di Montalcino
- Rosso di Montalcino
- Non Confunditur: blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, Merlot, Syrah aged in a combination of French oak barriques and Slavonian oak casks; name means “do not be mistaken” in Latin—a motto of the Lovatelli family, a former owner
- Solengo: 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Syrah/Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot aged for 15-17 months in new, French oak barriques
- Suolo: made from old-vine Sangiovese and aged in new, French oak barriques; name means “ground” in Italian
Average Total Production
- 288,000 bottles
Summary
The Villa Argiano was first built in 1581, and a number of illustrious Italian families have claimed ownership throughout the centuries. Countess Noemi Marone Cinzano purchased the Tenuta di Argiano in 1992 with a goal of improving quality (she also worked with renowned Super-Tuscan enologist Giacomo Tachis), then sold it to a team of Brazilian investors led by Andre Esteves in February 2013. Wines are made by Hans Vinding-Diers, and the team is now under the leadership of general manager Giorgio Gabelli with a focus on renovating the 16th century cellars and expanding plantings of Sangiovese. Argiano was one of the estates whose wines were investigated by the local government under suspicion of adulteration in 2008; Argiano was ultimately acquitted of the charges in 2013, and they elected to declassify their 2003 Brunellos to IGT.
Style & Vinification Techniques
Each parcel of vineyards is picked and vinified separately. Grapes are de-stemmed but not crushed and cold-soak for five to six days prior to fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks lasting two to three weeks. Argiano Brunello is aged in second-use French oak barriques and tonneaux (of varying sizes) for the first year and in larger Slavonian oak casks for the second year, followed by further aging in cement. Wines are then fined and bottle-aged for six months or more before release.
Producer Website: Argiano