Storia
The winery and its territory
Castello di Radda operates at Località Il Becco in Radda in Chianti, where its underground winery overlooks the medieval village and is surrounded by Sangiovese vineyards. Its holdings extend across the municipalities of Radda in Chianti and Gaiole in Chianti, including the steep, terraced Vertine sector.
The production cellar was designed by architect Spartaco Mori and excavated deep into Radda's hard rock. Conceived to remain largely invisible from outside, the building is naturally cool, independently thermoregulated and integrated into the surrounding landscape.
2017: organic conversion begins
Conversion of the vineyards to organic management began in 2017. The transition accompanied an agronomic approach centred on low yields, frequent manual work and plot-specific decisions based on soil, vine and microclimate.
2020: full organic certification
The conversion was completed in 2020. All 40 hectares of productive vineyards have since been managed as fully certified organic. Granbruno has carried organic certification from the 2020 vintage.
Present-day environmental programme
Landscape protection and reductions in resource and energy use now extend beyond organic farming. The estate plants and maintains woodland, non-productive vegetation and olive groves; preserves terraces and reconstructs traditional dry-stone walls to resist erosion; and maintains narrow stone drainage channels known as acquidocci, which collect water and return it to the principal waterways. A photovoltaic installation supplies clean electricity, including power for charging visitors' electric vehicles.
Terroir
Setting
The 40 hectares of vineyards occupy middle-hill sites in Radda in Chianti and around Vertine in the municipality of Gaiole in Chianti. The Radda holdings lie at 350–450 metres, while the Vertine vineyards stand at 400–450 metres. The winery itself overlooks the medieval village of Radda in Chianti and is surrounded by Sangiovese vines.
Radda is among the coolest parts of the Chianti Classico DOCG production zone. Low temperatures and pronounced day-to-night temperature changes shape the growing conditions. The landscape contains dense woodland, abundant wildlife, old farmhouses, country paths and traditional dry-stone walls. Its steep slopes and lean soils make cultivation demanding.
Radda in Chianti
The Radda vineyards face south-east and south-west. Their medium-textured clay-limestone soils contain abundant stone and little organic matter. Across the wider Radda territory, the combination of altitude, cool conditions and marked diurnal variation is closely associated with Sangiovese cultivation.
Il Corno lies at approximately 400 metres. Its clay-limestone soil contains a substantial stony component. Il Pratolino, at about 450 metres, is a steep, wooded and particularly cool site with water- and sand-rich soil containing a smaller proportion of clay.
Gaiole in Chianti and Vertine
The Gaiole holdings at Vertine have pronounced gradients and contrasting soils according to aspect. On the western side, vines grow on terraces supported by dry-stone walls; the soils are clayey and particularly rich in limestone-derived stone. The eastern side has deeper soils with more organic matter.
Resulting profile
The estate associates these soil and climatic conditions with freshness, complexity, refined aromas and broad aromatic expression. It treats the character of each soil and the conditions of each vintage as the basis of the finished wines.
Vinificazione
All 40 hectares of productive vineyards have been certified organic since completion of the 2017–2020 conversion. Agronomic management is directed toward low yields and relies on frequent manual interventions to retain the best fruit.
Work is planned plot by plot, responding to each site's soil, vines and microclimate. Fertilisation, pruning, thinning and grass-cover management are adjusted to the requirements of the individual parcel, with the aim of supporting the vine's natural cycle without forcing it. Il Pratolino receives especially intensive manual attention because of its steep gradient: every operation is performed by hand, and extensive thinning is calibrated to the condition of each vine.
Selection begins in the vineyard and continues in the cellar. For Il Corno and the Guss selection, harvest is manual, with an initial grape selection among the vines followed by a sorting-table selection. The estate's broader approach likewise emphasises careful selection in both locations.
Biodiversity and landscape work includes planting and maintaining woodland, non-productive flora and olive groves. Traditional dry-stone walls preserve terraces and counter soil erosion. Water is managed through the construction and maintenance of acquidocci, long, narrow stone channels that drain water and return it to the main waterways.
The production cellar extends underground through Radda's hard rock. Its naturally cool, independently thermoregulated environment reduces the need for visually or environmentally intrusive surface structures.
Winemaking is organised by vineyard or individual parcel. Lots remain separate through élevage until blending and bottling, preserving the identity of their origin and vintage. Grapes undergo careful selection in the vineyard and again in the cellar.
Fermentations and skin macerations take place in stainless steel and are described as long and gentle; depending on the lot, they may continue for as long as one month. The cellar uses 500-litre tonneaux and large wooden casks holding up to 60 hl. Extended bottle maturation completes the process.
The estate's red-wine practices include destemming and crushing, temperature-controlled stainless-steel fermentation, malolactic fermentation in steel or wood according to the lot, and maturation in tonneaux or larger oak casks. Il Corno demonstrates the most site-specific version of this approach: fermentation takes place in 50 hl temperature-controlled steel tanks, maceration lasts about four weeks, and malolactic fermentation occurs in new 5 hl tonneaux, followed by approximately five months on fine lees, a further 20 months in the same vessels and at least 12 months in bottle.
The Vin Santo process follows a distinct traditional path. Hand-selected Sangiovese and other native grapes dry on racks for several months before pressing in a traditional press. The concentrated must undergoes a slow natural fermentation with indigenous yeasts in small wooden caratelli and remains in the same vessels for at least four years. The ageing rooms experience strong seasonal temperature fluctuations, contributing to aromatic development.
Filosofia
Respect for the land, protection of vineyards and territory, disciplined decision-making, consistent quality, and fidelity to grape variety and terroir define the estate's stated values.
Its wines are conceived as expressions of the individual soil and vintage. Each bottling begins with the conditions of its harvest, precise agronomic choices and rigorous grape selection. Separate handling of vineyards and parcels carries that principle into the cellar.
Environmental balance is treated as a priority from vineyard to cellar. The approach combines organic farming, low yields and intensive manual care with landscape conservation, reduced waste, water stewardship and lower energy impact. The estate also frames this work as a responsibility to preserve the territory for future generations.
Tradition and modern design coexist in the production model. Traditional terraces, dry-stone walls, acquidocci, large wooden casks and caratelli are maintained alongside temperature-controlled stainless steel and a modern underground cellar designed around passive cooling and minimal visual impact.