History
The 1970s: old-vine material
A surviving parcel of Sangiovese was planted during the 1970s. Its grapes later formed the basis of the limited-production Le Viti del 1976, whose vineyard locations were identified as Vigna Alta and Lungostrada.
The 1980s: acquisition by San Felice
San Felice acquired Campogiovanni during the 1980s, before Brunello di Montalcino had achieved its subsequent international prominence. The acquisition established the company on the south-western side of the Montalcino hill, complementing its existing activity in Chianti Classico.
The latter half of the 1990s: expansion into Rosso di Montalcino
Six hectares of Sangiovese were planted for Rosso di Montalcino DOC during the latter half of the 1990s. This broadened the estate’s production beyond its Brunello vineyards while remaining focused on Sangiovese.
2007: the first Le Viti del 1976 vintage
The old Sangiovese parcel was vinified, matured and bottled separately in selected exceptional years as Le Viti del 1976. The first released vintage was 2007. Only a few hundred bottles were made and presented in three-bottle, leather-covered wooden cases.
2020–2021: precision management and parcel selection
By 2020, 14 ha were dedicated to Brunello di Montalcino, alongside an olive holding of 2,000 trees. The 2021 sustainability reporting recorded 22 ha of vineyards in total, with the same 14 ha devoted to Brunello.
Campogiovanni’s Sangiovese vineyards were mapped into distinct vigour classes through NDVI analysis. Before harvest, each vineyard was georeferenced to identify low-, medium- and high-vigour zones for grape sampling and targeted fertilisation.
After several years of observing the estate’s most promising vineyard sections, a selected area with sandy-loam soil became the source of P#327. The range shown for this selection begins with the 2020 vintage.
Sustainability programme
Agricola San Felice obtained its Sustainable Winery certification within the Equalitas framework for the San Felice site. The Montalcino operation was scheduled for a Valoritalia audit in February 2022 so that it could be added to the Equalitas SOPD certification scope. The programme included targets for water use, waste reduction and sustainability training for Campogiovanni personnel.
Terroir
Campogiovanni lies in the Val d’Orcia area, on the south to south-western side of the Montalcino hill. The combination of the local microclimate and soil conditions supports the ripening of Sangiovese Grosso.
The estate’s documented soils are generally medium-textured and include silt, sand and clay over sandstone and calcareous marl. More specifically selected areas, including the source of P#327, are described as sandy loam with pebbles and gravel, again resting on sandstone and calcareous marl. The selected P#327 area is also associated with a balanced local climate.
Soil variability is treated as an important part of vineyard management. Sangiovese blocks have been mapped into multiple vigour classes corresponding to differences within the soil, while electrical-resistivity testing is used for new plantings to assess differences in water availability and rockiness. The resulting maps inform irrigation planning, fertilisation, cover-crop mixtures and rootstock selection.
Winemaking
Vineyard mapping and site preparation
Campogiovanni’s Sangiovese vineyards are managed through precision-viticulture mapping. NDVI imagery divides blocks into vigour classes that also reflect soil variability. Shortly before harvest, vineyards are georeferenced and low-, medium- and high-vigour areas are identified for grape sampling.
For new plantings, bare soils undergo electrical-resistivity testing. Variations in resistivity help identify differences in soil moisture and rockiness and guide decisions about irrigation infrastructure, fertilisation, green-manure mixtures and rootstocks.
Nutrition and yield balance
Fertilisation is intended to bring each vineyard toward vegetative and productive equilibrium. The reference yield used in the programme is 75 quintals per hectare, equivalent to 7.5 tonnes per hectare. No fertiliser is applied where both vigour and sampled production exceed the reference. Lower-vigour areas producing below the reference receive the nutrients removed through production plus the amount calculated to approach the target. Areas at the target receive only the quantity needed to replace nutrient removal.
Mixed organic fertilisers are applied once, after harvest, and the documented ceiling is 50 nitrogen units. Foliar analysis is carried out at least every three years and soil analysis at least every four years. Nitrogen applications above 60 kg/ha are divided into separate applications.
Soil and plant protection
Herbicides are not used between or beneath the rows. Soil is managed conservatively, with inter-row grass cover adapted to soil type, slope, erosion risk and local climatic conditions.
Plant-protection products are kept to the smallest effective quantity, with preference given to options of lower impact on people and the agroecosystem. Disease and pest pressure is monitored, and intervention timing and active ingredients are selected using monitoring results and forecasting models. Products bearing hazard classifications H340, H341, H350, H351, H360, H361, H362, H370 or H371 are excluded. Equipment-washing water is handled under a management plan intended to prevent point-source pollution.
Harvest decisions and grape delivery
Harvest timing is based at minimum on sugar, titratable acidity and pH, with phenolic maturity also monitored for red grapes. Maturity is assessed in relation to the intended winemaking purpose. Grapes are delivered to the vinification facility within six hours of picking, and lots are traceable through the production system.
Water and certification programme
Campogiovanni recorded 266 m³ of well water and 1,616 m³ of mains water in 2021. The Montalcino site was scheduled for a Valoritalia audit in February 2022 to extend the Equalitas SOPD certification scope to the estate.
Campogiovanni’s documented production is centred on Sangiovese and uses stainless steel for fermentation stages, followed by maturation in oak and further bottle ageing.
Maceration regimes vary with the selected material and intended style. Documented periods range from 12 days for the earlier-release expression to 15–20 or 20 days for Brunello selections and 25 days for Riserva and old-vine material. Fermentation temperatures range from 26–28°C to 28–30°C. Malolactic fermentation takes place in stainless-steel tanks.
Oak vessels include 60 hl Slavonian-oak casks, 500-litre French-oak tonneaux and 30 or 50 hl oak barrels. The principal Brunello protocol uses 36 months in a combination of 60 hl Slavonian casks and 500-litre French tonneaux, followed by 12 months in bottle. The P#327 selection spends 30 months in 30 and 50 hl oak barrels and 12 months in bottle. Il Quercione is matured for 24 months in 500-litre French-oak tonneaux, then for 36 months in bottle. Rosso di Montalcino is matured for 12 months in large Slavonian-oak casks and for a further two months in bottle.
Oenological products are used in a controlled and measured manner, with particular attention to substances classified as allergens. The need for treatment and the dose of each addition are determined by the oenologist on a case-by-case basis. Operators handling these products receive specific training and updates. Cellar work is documented through production protocols and a cellar log; protocols are reviewed at least annually, incoming materials are checked, and a multi-year database supports production decisions.
Philosophy
Campogiovanni’s approach combines a traditional interpretation of Brunello with detailed parcel observation and precision vineyard management. Its principal Brunello is conceived around extended maturation in large Slavonian casks and French tonneaux, with finesse and longevity presented as defining aims.
The estate’s parcel selections express a complementary principle: promising areas are observed over multiple years, and distinctive material may be vinified separately. Il Quercione is reserved for exceptional growing years, while Le Viti del 1976 preserved the identity of a surviving 1970s Sangiovese parcel through very limited releases. P#327 likewise emerged from prolonged observation of the estate’s most suitable sections.
Environmental management is based on measured intervention. Soil variability, vine vigour, ripeness and disease pressure are monitored before fertilisation, harvest or plant-protection decisions are made. The broader sustainability programme links these practices with water conservation, waste reduction, traceability and staff training.