Storia
A new phase from 2012
A new phase began in 2012 when Italo-Argentine entrepreneur Alejandro Pedro Bulgheroni acquired Dievole. His Tuscan investment strategy combined the renewal of historic properties with the creation of projects intended to express particular places and their wines. Poggio Landi in Montalcino subsequently became one of the estates operating under Società Agricola Dievole S.p.A. and within the wider ABFV Italy group.
The new ownership initiated a study of individual vineyard parcels and soils. The broader agricultural project focused first on restoring soil vitality, microbiological activity and a natural balance between vegetative growth and fruit production. New plantings adopted deep-rooting rootstocks with a narrow geotropic angle so that Sangiovese roots could reach the underlying rock and deeper reserves of moisture during dry summers.
Organic management and vineyard renewal
In 2014, the entire agricultural surface of Società Agricola Dievole S.p.A., including its Montalcino unit, entered certified organic management. The certification has remained active under ICEA and is governed by EU Regulation 2018/848.
A vineyard restructuring and renewal programme also began in 2014. In the Brunello di Montalcino area, new plantings were devoted almost exclusively to Sangiovese. Training systems were progressively changed from spur-pruned cordon to Guyot, selected for leaf exposure, vine longevity and the possibility of mechanising harvest operations.
Poggio Landi today
Poggio Landi is the Montalcino unit of Società Agricola Dievole S.p.A. Its vineyards occupy several subzones north, east and south of Montalcino, while the winery stands on the northeastern side of the commune near Torrenieri. The estate produces Rosso di Montalcino DOC, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG and Brunello di Montalcino DOCG Riserva. Its contemporary cellar includes an octagonal vinification room, a barrel cellar and a separate ageing room, while a modern panoramic wine shop and terrace overlook the hills toward the Val d’Orcia and Pienza.
Terroir
Poggio Landi’s winery lies northeast of Montalcino, near Torrenieri, on the summit of a panoramic hill. The vineyards extend beyond the immediate winery surroundings into several subzones north, east and south of Montalcino. This geographical spread brings together different altitudes, exposures, soils and microclimates rather than a single uniform growing environment.
The vines occupy gentle slopes within the varied landscape of Montalcino. The territory lies in the Val d’Orcia setting, with the sea to the south and the Apennines to the north. From the estate, the outlook crosses the hills separating Montalcino from the Val d’Orcia, with Pienza on the horizon and the landscape of the crete forming part of the view.
Woodland is a defining element of the Montalcino unit. Approximately 67% of its total agricultural area is classified as semi-natural land of high environmental value, and woodland covers about 85 ha. Most managed vineyards are surrounded by woods, particularly around Montosoli. Common trees include holm oak, downy oak, cork oak and black locust. The Mediterranean scrub contains tree heath, Spanish broom, laurustinus, strawberry tree, mastic, ivy, hawthorn and myrtle.
Vinificazione
Poggio Landi forms part of an agricultural company whose entire surface has been managed organically since 2014. ICEA maintains the organic certification under EU Regulation 2018/848; the most recent audit identified in the 2024 reporting period took place on 16 July 2024. The stated objective is to maintain healthy, balanced vines while reducing interventions and plant-protection inputs as far as possible.
Soil and floor management
Herbicides are not used. Permanent vegetation is maintained between the rows, improving soil structure, porosity, organic matter, water retention and resistance to erosion while supporting soil fauna and beneficial insects. The area beneath the vines is managed mechanically or manually.
After harvest, alternating rows are decompacted without overturning the soil layers, preserving microflora and microfauna and encouraging oxygenation and decomposition of organic matter. A green-manure species may then be sown in the cultivated row, or spontaneous vegetation is allowed to develop where appropriate. The row is left untrafficked until spring mowing to retain a soft soil structure. Vegetation is cut, shredded and incorporated immediately after flowering so pollinating insects can use the flowers and the resulting organic matter can support microbial activity. Honey-bearing plants used for cover and green manure include phacelia, clover and sulla.
The management plan seeks vegetative and productive balance without routine fertiliser use. Naturally mineralised organic nitrogen supplies gradual nutrition. When broad fertilisation is necessary, applications follow EU organic rules, are documented on ICEA cultivation records and require a technical report signed by the technical director. The applicable ceiling for livestock effluent is 170 kg of nitrogen per hectare per year.
Water, roots and soil analysis
The vineyards are not irrigated. Soil management is intended to keep the ground porous and encourage deep rooting, allowing vines to reach water during dry periods. Representative soils are analysed for particle size, pH, cation-exchange capacity, organic matter, total and active limestone, total nitrogen, exchangeable potassium and available phosphorus. Organic matter, nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus measurements are repeated every four years.
For new vineyards, a ripper is preferred so compacted soil can be opened without inverting its layers. Where excessive stones make this impossible, the fertile topsoil is first set aside, stones are removed with grilles and generally reused for drainage, and the retained surface soil is then replaced.
Biodiversity and vineyard protection
Semi-natural areas account for about 67% of the Montalcino unit. Its woods and Mediterranean scrub provide habitat for wild boar, roe deer, fallow deer, wolf, badger, porcupine and hare, while flowering shrubs and herbs sustain local insect life. Buffer vegetation is normally mown after flowering. In places such as Montosoli, part of the strip between vineyard and woodland is cultivated as a firebreak during the summer-risk period.
The wider vineyard programme monitors annual captures of Scaphoideus titanus and Lobesia botrana. A low-impact pasture-maintenance plan introduced in 2023 provides for scarification and removal of encroaching shrubs once every five years to prevent the loss of open habitat to woodland.
Vinification takes place in an octagonal room equipped with stainless-steel vessels. After arrival at the cellar, the grapes are followed through fermentation and vinification before the wines move to the barrel cellar and ageing room.
The broader winemaking programme uses stems during each harvest, particularly in warmer years, to restore freshness that intense sunshine may diminish. This work explicitly includes Sangiovese Grosso from Montalcino.
Ageing takes place in large casks made from untoasted French oak sourced from the forests of Allier. The wines remain in these casks for an extended maturation period. The production and barrel areas are connected to the panoramic level by a large spiral staircase of modern architectural design.
Filosofia
Poggio Landi shares ABFV Italy’s objective of expressing the distinct character of its Tuscan growing area through responsible agriculture, sustainability and low environmental impact. Its approach treats wine first as an agricultural product of the soil and regards balanced vines and living soils as foundations of quality.
The agricultural programme aims to restore and maintain the soil’s microbiological life, balance vegetative growth with fruit production and favour natural, constant tissue development supported by organically generated nitrogen rather than artificial nitrogen inputs. Deep roots, resilient plants and minimal intervention are linked both to territorial expression and to adaptation to increasingly dry summers.
The stated mission combines the enhancement of local character with clean, regenerative agriculture. The wider vision identifies beauty, culture, history and the genius loci as central values. In the cellar, knowledge is shared among the group’s different Tuscan territories while techniques are adapted to their grapes and conditions. The use of stems in hot vintages exemplifies this effort to retain freshness rather than obscure vintage conditions.
Winery architecture follows the same relationship with place: production buildings must first be safe and practical workplaces, but should also integrate with protected landscapes and add aesthetic value to their surroundings.