| Region of production: | Montepulciano and Cortona |
| Winery Location: | Montepulciano, Siena |
| Year Established: | 1974 |
Vineyard Holdings
200 ha
- La Selva (34 ha): Located in Cortona. Planted to Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Chardonnay.
- Lodola (24 ha): Located in Montepulciano. Planted mostly to Sangiovese, plus Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Most of the dry wines are produced at this location.
Top Wines Produced & Inaugural Vintages
- Desiderio Toscana IGP: 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. Aged for 18 months in 25% new French oak. 2,500 case production. Inaugural vintage 1988.
- Grifi Toscana IGP: Approximately 50% Sangiovese and 50% Cabernet Sauvignon (since 2011). Cabernet Sauvignon is aged in new French oak; Sangiovese is aged in neutral oak. Aged for 18 months. 1,800 case production. Inaugural vintage 1983.
- 50&50 Toscana IGP: 50% Sangiovese and 50% Merlot. Made in collaboration with Capannelle.
Average Total Production
- 750,000 bottles
Summary
The modern history of Avignonesi started in 1974 with brothers Ettore and Alberto Falvo. It owes its name to Ettore’s wife, Adriana Avignonesi, member of a prominent noble family from Montepulciano. A benchmark for the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG, Avignonesi is also noted for its single-vineyard Sangiovese, La Tonda, as well as its Vin Santo production. In 2009, the estate was purchased by Belgian-born lawyer Virginie Saverys. Under her leadership, the vineyards of Avignonesi were certified organic in 2016, with a transition to biodynamics shortly after. Though not technically situated on the Tuscan coast, Avignonesi is included in this list due to the significance of its Super Tuscan wines.
Style & Vinification Techniques
Avignonesi practices organic winemaking and biodynamic farming. Grapes are destemmed (if hand-picked) and sorted both by hand and with an optical sorting machine. The estate utilizes both ambient and inoculated yeast, as well as punchdowns and pumpovers. Each lot is fermented and aged separately before blending. The winery uses a mix of large Slavonian botti and 225-liter French barriques.
Producer Website: Avignonesi