For more than 30 years, Giancarlo Pacenti has been running his father’s business in the Montalcino area with great passion and profound expertise. Known as an absolute perfectionist, the leader deserves credit for having always considered terroir, grapes and cellar technology in their interplay and as a whole. His meticulous care in grape selection and vineyard maintenance is considered exemplary. The family estate is also a pioneer in the use of barriques for Brunello aging and was one of the first producers in Montalcino to attach greater importance to single vineyard wines. The fact that Giancarlo leaves nothing to chance is shown, for example, by the fact that he always puts expensive but optimal cork on the bottles.
The Pacenti estate was founded in 1970, with the purchase of the estate north of Montalcino (Pelagrilli) by Siro, who then proceeded to plant some important vineyards. These vineyards are still there today, on the cool, clay soil of the land overlooking Siena. In 1988, management passed to the hands of Giancarlo.
A legendary terroir
Siro Pacenti’s wines have been produced under its own label since 1988. A third of the 60 hectares of farmland is dedicated to cereal crops, while another 20 hectares are covered in woods and olive trees. Of the approximately 20 hectares of vineyards, 18.5 hectares alone are registered for Brunello. Siro Pacenti’s vineyards lie on two opposing slopes of the growing area and are divided into seven plots. They are located at Pelagrilli in the north and at the Asso stream in the far southeast in opposite locations. But the grapes, which thrive there and are harvested by hand, are all of the same high quality without losing their individual character. The Sangiovese grosso vines produce fruity Brunelli and Rossi of great concentration.
Visionary
In the partly underground winery, have all aspects of Brunello preparation been explored since the 1980s. Home-made tests and fine adjustments also led to the development of new fermentation techniques. The wine cellar, equipped with state-of-the-art technology and probably almost unique in Tuscany, is rightly admired by Brunello connoisseurs as a cathedral.
