Tuscan DOCG Crowning Jewels
Compare the nuances of the most famous estates of the three Kings of Italian Wines: Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino and Nobile di Montepulciano. A captivating journey through variations on the Sangiovese theme in Tuscany South, home of three top Italian wines, which includes guided tasting in cellars, tours of villages in Val d’Orcia and Siena, in addition to lunches and dinners at the best restaurants. A unique trip that brings together food, wine, art and history.
Duration: 7 days, 6 nights
Available: from February to November by request
Target: individuals and small groups
Arrival/Departure: Rome (Florence and Pisa by request)
Accommodation: historic luxury villa in Montalcino
Restaurants: typical Tuscany South cuisine, Michelin star restaurants, homemade farm delicacies, “snacks” at wine cellars, tasting at Enoteca Italiana...
Food: pecorino cheese from Pienza, honey from Montalcino, Tuscan Ribollita soup, cold pressed extra-virgin olive oil, Tuscan Prosciutto, truffles, Pinci pasta, Cantucci biscuits and much more...
Visit: Montalcino, Pienza, San Quirico d’Orcia, Siena and Montepulciano
Day 1, sunday - The Terrace of Wonderland
Montalcino is a most captivating 240 square kilometre microcosm surrounded by the complex world of Brunello whose lifeline radiates from this beautiful medieval village. It sits atop the mountain like a terrace of wonderland overlooking the Val d’Orcia. This is the destination of our transfer from the airport in Rome where we meet. Our home for the week is in a historic luxury villa in Montalcino, the starting point of our immersion in the world of Brunello.
After checking in, we go for a short walk in town to the first small cellar in town where we start tasting the great wines of Montalcino with a little snack of delicious salami and Tuscan cheese. For dinner, typical Montalcino fare at a small restaurant in the medieval heart of Montalcino where we enjoy our selection of Rosso and Brunello di Montalcino.
Day 2, Monday – The Myth of Brunello di Montalcino
At breakfast we meet our local concierge who will accompany us the entire week in the land of Brunello. We step onto the millenary stone streets in the centre of Montalcino to explore the town, its walls, the Fortress and treasures in the city museum. Then we enjoy an excellent lunch with select Rosso and Brunello di Montalcino.
In the afternoon we head towards the countryside around Montalcino where there are thousands of hectares of woods, pasture, olive groves and the precious vines of Brunello. The terroir of Brunello di Montalcino is a complex mosaic of vineyards resting on the various sides of the hill, each with its own unique characteristics. Today we focus on the most famous side, southeast, characterized by sandstone and marl with volcanic tufa. We visit and taste elegant wines at two of the legendary wineries of this winemaking area followed by a quick stop at Museum of Brunello and the Community of Montalcino and finally we take in the magnificent onyx and alabaster Abbey of Sant’Animo in all of its splendour where a small group of monks have dedicated their lives to work and prayer in Gregorian chants.
Day 3, Tuesday – The Terroir of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
Today we are bound for Montepulciano, the first in Tuscany to make its name known in the world of wine. The Sangiovese clone cultivated in the area, called Prugnolo Gentile, produces very different results in the bottle from what we have already tasted. To reach Poliziano, we travel along a road that winds through the Val d’Orcia with the most famous countryside in Italy.
In Montepulciano, we are transported back in time by a local guides who recount the amazing history of this medieval city as we make our way towards the very famous cellar where we are introduced to the secrets of Vino Nobile. We taste four wines paired with local typical dishes for lunch. The afternoon brings a change of tune as we go from the grandeur of the historical winery to a small artisan winery with vines of the Cervognano cru, and we taste the differences in approach within the same terroir. Before returning to Montalcino, we cannot miss out on Pienza for a walk in this picturesque Renaissance town and a taste of Pecorino cheese.
Day 4, Wednesday – The Chianti Classico Universe
Chianti Classico is a winemaking universe and moving landscape that includes over seventy thousand hectares of vines in nine municipalities in the provinces of Siena and Florence. The Gallo Nero, the black rooster, is the symbol of territory we discover today. We visit the cellars inside the historic abbey of Badia a Passignano that houses thousands of barrels providing a rather charming setting and taste Chianti Classico wines paired with innovative Michelin-starred dishes at the Osteria di Passignano.
Day 5, Thursday – The Magic of Siena
Siena is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. With a local guide we visit all the highlights of this charming city that puts you under a spell so that it feels like you are walking in a work of art. We also visit the Medicean Fortress home of the Enoteca Italiana where we taste some of the best Italian wines from the well-stocked cellar. We end off the day at one of our favourite restaurant in Montalcino where we taste typical tuscan and Montalcino dishes paired with a great selection of 5 wines from north to south Italy.
Day 6, Friday – The Three Kings of Sangiovese
To conclude our grand tour in the archipelago of great Tuscan red wines, we have reserved a tour of a cellar in Montalcino where it is possible to taste two versions of their Brunello: one vinified traditionally only in big barrels and one which was vinified also in barrique. It will be interesting to taste the influence of different winemaking techniques in the wine. After a good Tuscan lunch in charming Sant’Angelo in Colle, we return to our favourite wine shop in Montalcino to meet a wine journalist who guides us in a comparative tasting of Chianti Classico, Nobile di Montepulciano, and Brunello di Montalcino to understand these three different expressions of Sangiovese in Tuscany South. The day and the week come to a close with dinner on Friday evening and a little surprise!
Day 7, Saturday
Enjoy the transfer back to Rome where you can continue your holiday or catch your return flight home.
