Italy · Montalcino

La Palazzetta

La Palazzetta is a Fanti-family estate on the southeastern slope of Montalcino, farming about 20 organically certified hectares of Sangiovese on limestone-rich soil at 365 metres near the Abbey of Sant'Antimo. Their Brunello di Montalcino is made with indigenous yeasts, long maceration, and extended French oak ageing, with the Riserva stretching that oak contact to five years.

The producer

La Palazzetta sits on the southeastern corner of Montalcino, in Castelnuovo dell'Abate, where the hill runs warmer and drier than the northern flank and Sangiovese ripens toward rounder tannin and richer fruit. The 365-metre altitude tempers that warmth, and the limestone-rocky soils push roots deep, concentrating the crop and driving acidity and mineral grip into the wine. Flavio Fanti, who runs the estate with his wife Carla and their children Tea and Luca, turned attention firmly toward the vineyard and toward organic farming, certified from the 2018 harvest.

The cellar follows the same patient logic. Indigenous yeasts carry the classic Brunello through about 20 days of maceration before 3.5 years in French oak casks and six months in bottle. The Riserva, drawn from selected parcels, extends that oak commitment to five years. The Rosso di Montalcino offers the same Sangiovese and the same site in an earlier-drinking register.

Known for

Brunello di Montalcino

Notable facts

The story

The Diploma Before the Label

In 2016, La Palazzetta was awarded the Ecofriendly Cellar Diploma, a formal recognition of programmes already running at the estate: ecological stewardship, vineyard and land protection projects, and energy-saving plans that had been in place for some time. At that point, the wine labels carried no organic claim. Organic certification did not arrive until the 2018 harvest, two full vintages later. The diploma came first, issued for farming that had already changed direction, before the paperwork caught up. When the 2018 harvest was brought in and processed, the bottles could finally say what the estate had been doing for years.

From the atlas

La Palazzetta

At A Glance

Producer: La Palazzetta Type: Family estate Location: Castelnuovo dell'Abate, Montalcino, Tuscany Grape: Sangiovese Principal wine: Brunello di Montalcino DOCG Farming: Organic (certified from 2018 harvest) Altitude: 365 metres above sea level

The Producer

La Palazzetta sits on the southeastern slope of Montalcino, in the hamlet of Castelnuovo dell'Abate, looking out over the Abbey of Sant'Antimo. The Fanti family has farmed this land across generations. Flavio Fanti, along with his wife Carla and their children Tea and Luca, runs the estate today. About 20 hectares of Sangiovese vineyards and roughly 2,500 olive trees make up the working property.

Flavio's arrival at the helm marked a turn toward the vineyard. Organic methods followed, certified from the 2018 harvest onward. The estate had already received the Ecofriendly Cellar Diploma in 2016, two harvests before the wine labels could carry the organic designation, for its programmes in ecological stewardship, land and vineyard protection, and energy savings.

Place

Castelnuovo dell'Abate is the southernmost settlement within the Montalcino appellation. The southeastern flank runs warmer and drier than the cooler northern and western slopes of the hill, which means Sangiovese ripens more fully here and tends toward rounder tannin and richer fruit concentration. The 365-metre altitude tempers that warmth, preserving acidity and slowing the final stages of ripening.

Brunello di Montalcino is made from Sangiovese and aged in French oak. Castelnuovo dell'Abate wines typically carry depth and generosity alongside enough acidity to age. For a buyer choosing between Brunello producers by sub-zone, the southeastern corner means approachability at a relatively early stage without sacrificing the decade-plus cellar potential that defines the appellation.

Soil And Site

The vineyards grow on limestone-rich, rocky soils. Limestone drains well and limits vine vigour, pushing roots downward and concentrating the crop. On the southeastern slope at this altitude, the combination of rocky ground and moderate heat produces Sangiovese with firm tannin, good acidity, and the mineral edge that limestone-dominant parcels tend to give. Grapes are picked by hand.

Story

The Fanti family has held this land across multiple generations. The Consorzio del Brunello di Montalcino records that his arrival brought a decisive shift in attention toward the vineyard. That vineyard focus translated into farming choices that preceded any formal recognition: ecological programmes, land protection initiatives, and energy management. The Ecofriendly Cellar Diploma arrived in 2016, awarded for practices already in place. Organic certification followed two years later, formalised from the 2018 harvest.

The cellar philosophy extends the same discipline. Fermentation is temperature-controlled. Indigenous yeasts carry the Sangiovese through about 20 days of maceration before malolactic fermentation. French oak casks take it from there, for 3.5 years with the classic Brunello and five full years with the Riserva. The arc from vinification to bottle is slow and deliberate.

Vineyards And Cellar

About 20 hectares of vineyards are farmed organically on limestone and rocky ground at 365 metres. No synthetic inputs since certification; the soils are worked to support vine health rather than force yield. Hand harvesting allows parcel-by-parcel selection.

In the cellar, temperature control during fermentation keeps aromatics intact through the long maceration period. Indigenous yeasts, rather than commercial cultures, carry the fermentation, which tends to produce slower, more gradual extraction and a wine that reflects the specific vintage and site rather than a standardised fermentation profile. French oak casks, rather than small barriques, provide oxygen exchange over extended periods without imparting heavy wood flavour. The classic Brunello spends 3.5 years in cask before six months in bottle. The Riserva extends that oak contact to five years, drawn from selected parcels judged capable of sustaining the longer élevage.

Wines

All four wines in the range are built around Sangiovese from the estate's limestone parcels, arranged by appellation and élevage commitment.

Brunello di Montalcino DOCG is the signature wine: 100% Sangiovese, fermented with indigenous yeasts over about 20 days of maceration, then aged 3.5 years in French oak casks and six months in bottle. Ruby in colour with aromas of cherry, violet, and light spice. Firm tannin and good acidity carry through to a long finish.

Brunello di Montalcino Riserva DOCG draws from selected parcels and spends five years in French oak before release. The extended élevage deepens the colour and concentrates the profile: dried fruit, earthy complexity, and sustained acidity that supports ageing well beyond a decade.

Rosso di Montalcino DOC is the earlier-drinking bottling. DOCG rules require shorter ageing than Brunello, allowing this wine to reach shelves sooner. Same Sangiovese, same site, lighter oak commitment: the grape and the hill in a more accessible register.

Sant'Antimo Rosso DOC falls outside the strict Sangiovese-only rules of the Brunello appellation. It functions as a more flexible red within the range, without the extended barrel requirement of the Brunello tier.

In The Glass

The classic Brunello opens with cherry and violet, with light spice in the background. On the palate, the tannin is firm but not coarse: limestone soils and hand-harvested selection tend to produce grape skins with even ripeness and textural grain. The acidity from the southeastern slope, tempered by the 365-metre altitude, gives the wine a clean backbone that holds across the palate and extends through the finish. Three and a half years in French oak add a subtle earthy depth without dominating the fruit. The wine finishes long.

The Riserva shifts the register. Five years in French oak draws more extraction from the selected parcels: the fruit darkens toward dried cherry and plum, earthy notes deepen, and the tannin becomes more settled and integrated. The acidity remains the thread that connects the wine across its decade-plus cellar life.

The Rosso is lighter on its feet: fresher, less concentrated, with the same cherry and spice character appearing in a frame that asks for less patience.

A Bottle To Understand It

Start with the Brunello di Montalcino DOCG. It is the clearest single expression of what La Palazzetta does and where it does it: Sangiovese grown on limestone at 365 metres on the southeastern slope, fermented with indigenous yeasts, aged 3.5 years in French oak, then given six months in bottle. The cherry and violet aromatics lead into firm tannin and a clean acid line that runs all the way to the finish. It is not a wine to open immediately on release. Give it three to five years from vintage and it shows the southeastern Montalcino character at its most legible: warm fruit concentration, mineral grip from the limestone, and the staying power that Brunello demands.

Anecdote

In 2016, La Palazzetta was awarded the Ecofriendly Cellar Diploma. The award recognised programmes already operating at the estate: ecological stewardship, projects for vineyard and land protection, and energy-saving plans that had been running for some time. The wine labels at that point carried no organic claim. Organic certification did not arrive until the 2018 harvest, two full vintages later. The diploma came first, issued for farming that had already changed, before the paperwork caught up. When the 2018 harvest was brought in and processed, the bottles could finally say what the estate had been doing for years.

Final Word

La Palazzetta is a family estate working the southeastern slope of Montalcino with organic discipline and a patient cellar philosophy. The classic Brunello gives a clear read on the sub-zone: limestone grip, altitude-preserved acidity, and the warm generosity of Castelnuovo dell'Abate, held together by 3.5 years in French oak. Buy the classic Brunello for a five-plus-year cellar; reach for the Riserva when a decade feels like the right timeline.

Sources

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