History
Badia a Coltibuono was founded in 1051 by Vallombrosan monks connected with Giovanni Gualberto.
The monks developed agriculture, especially vines and olive trees, continuing cultivation traditions already present since Etruscan and Roman times. A late-12th-century document in the abbey archive contains one of the earliest known references to the name Chianti.
After monastic ownership ended, the property passed to private hands and eventually to the Stucchi Prinetti family. In the 20th century Piero Stucchi Prinetti began bottling Badia a Coltibuono wines and, in 1962, olive oil. The family later became a leader in organic and sustainable farming.
Terroir
The estate lies at Gaiole in Chianti, surrounded by approximately 800 hectares of ancient forest. The 70 hectares of vineyards contain Sangiovese and historic local clones.
Winemaking
The vineyards are certified organic and managed as part of a larger forested estate. Native clones and historic varieties are conserved.
The cellar produces Chianti Classico, Riserva, Gran Selezione, pure Sangiovese, Ciliegiolo and Vin Santo. Traditional methods are combined with contemporary temperature control and selective oak maturation.
Philosophy
The estate connects wine, olive oil, hospitality, cuisine and forest stewardship within a thousand-year agricultural tradition.