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“I am repeatedly blown away by the depth and balance achieved”
Eric Guido, Vinous
Shortly after purchasing a farmhouse outside Montalcino, Caroline (born in the renowned wine region of Alto Adige) met Jan, a botany enthusiast from Germany. The couple embarked on a remarkable journey fuelled by their shared passion for biodynamic agriculture. In 1997 Pian dell’Orino was born, marking the beginning of their journey towards the purest expression of Sangiovese winemaking.
Their commitment materialized in 1998 with the planting of the estate's first vines, leading to the crafting of their inaugural wines in 2001. The pinnacle of their dedication was reached in 2006 with the construction of a striking round cellar, harmoniously designed with the principles of biodynamics, using all-natural materials, cradling the wines with naturally gentleness.
The environment of Montalcino, characterized by hillsides and diverse micro-climates, presents highly variable conditions. Understanding and respecting this complexity has been pivotal to their journey. They believe that the best way to honour the land is through agriculture that preserves its natural harmony, promoting balance between vineyard, climate, land, and people.
Spring was marked by warmer-than-expected days alternating with cold spells, causing early bud burst followed by sudden slowdowns: this directly impacted the vines’ growth and their regular development. Heavy rains in April and May encouraged flowering but also increased disease pressure and for this reason a call was made to de-leaf, enhancing aeration around the future berries. After flowering, the vines developed perfectly thanks to a dry and sunny June followed by a rapid increase in temperature causing hydric stress in the vines. The end of July luckily saw abundant rainfall that replenished the water reserve until harvest time.
Canopy management proved to be particularly complicated due to the plants’ development continuing well into August. Numerous rainfalls marked the start of autumn, once again increasing disease pressure: dormant bunches were removed to improve airflow around the berries. The fruit that went into the Brunello di Montalcino was harvested between 17th - 27th September.
Due to extreme growing conditions, the berries developed particularly thick skins which was instrumental in prolonging maceration: alcoholic fermentation lasted 22 days followed by a further 20 days of skin contact. Malolactic conversion followed right after, the wine was racked after 6 weeks and aged for 46 months in 30hl and 25hl oak barrels.
Once again spring saw alternating warm and cold days causing uneven hormonal regulation in the vines. A frost wave arrived on April 7-8th killing multiple young shoots: this slowed down the plants’ development considerably, but also favoured the growth of less fertile second-generation shoots. High rainfalls in both winter and spring guaranteed a good replenishment of water reserves in the first half of the growing season, however high temperatures in June and the northerly Tramontane winds quickly dried the soil.
The vineyards were under hydric stress in the month of July and emergency irrigation had to be applied to the younger vineyards of Pian dell’Oro and Olivetello. Hailstorms in August caused damage in Pian Bassolino and Pian dell’Orino. September Tramontane blowing through the vineyards allowed them to keep the grapes on the vines later than usual. The fruit for the Rosso di Montalcino was harvested on September 15th. Fermentation lasted 11 days with malolactic conversion following immediately after. The wine was aged for 30 months in 25hl oak barrels before bottling.
Cancello Rosso Vineyard
The Cancello Rosso vineyard is situated 340 m above sea level right next to an old travertine quarry indicative of considerably calcareous terrain, as well as sulphur springs that gush frequently in the surroundings of Mount Amiata. With the naked eye , one can detect a land of varied colours. Yellowish clayey sediments alternate with brown clay and greyish shades of marlstone. The “terra rossa” (or red earth), a reddish ground that takes its colour from broken down ferrous silicates, covers approximately half of this vineyard’s surface. The very deep soils encourage vines to push their roots well below the surface, where they extract minerals that are usually present in clayey soil and that give the grapes and wine a typical and familiar aroma of hazelnuts and spices.
Scopeta Vineyard
The Scopeta vineyard is located between Castelnuovo dell’Abate and Sant’Angelo in Colle. Thanks to its south-east exposure, it benefits from the morning sun while its slope of 35% enables a maximum amount of captured solar energy. The leaves here are always the first to sprout in April and, in general, this vineyard is the starting point of the harvest. The considerably clayey, uniform soil is high in limestone content and is characterised by a good water retention capacity. The Scopeta grapes tend to develop particularly spicy and black fruit aromas.
Pian Bassolino Vineyard
Planted in 1999 over a total surface of 3.0 ha, the Pian Bassolino vineyard is located a few kilometres away from the estate, towards Castelnuovo dell’Abate. Formerly a field and pasture for sheep and goats, Pian Bassolino lies between 340 m and 390 m above sea level and has a south/south-west exposure, facing the omnipresent volcano Mount Amiata. The mixed forests that surround the vineyards with their rich undergrowth, together with the neighbouring olive tree groves and cypresses lining the roads, are testimony of the moderate climate.
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