Cava d'Onice

Valter Nannetti and the origins at Colombaio

The estate’s roots lie in the work of Valter Nannetti. During his career at a historic Montalcino winery, he performed duties corresponding to those of an oenologist and cellar worker. His son Simone followed him at work from childhood, developing an early connection with wine. At fourteen, Simone began working in vineyards, where he learned the vines’ vegetative cycle, general care, pruning and grafting. He later collaborated with established producers in the Montalcino area.

In 1983, Simone’s parents acquired the Colombaio farm with approximately 2,000 m² of vineyard. About ten years later, renovation of the farmhouse began. Father and son subsequently reorganized the vineyard, which was registered for Brunello di Montalcino in 1995.

The first estate bottlings

The original Colombaio vineyard was enlarged by approximately 3,000 m². The first estate wine was Rosso di Montalcino, produced under the name Colombaio di Nannetti. The current Rosso di Montalcino account dates this first production to 1998.

The first Brunello di Montalcino Colombaio was the 2000 vintage. Production amounted to just 266 bottles, each numbered by hand to mark the beginning of the project. Colombaio has remained the estate’s cru and now reaches approximately 2,000 bottles annually.

The creation of Cava d’Onice

In 2005, Simone and his wife leased a small vineyard and began a project of their own. The resulting Brunello di Montalcino was named Cava d’Onice and joined the existing Colombaio bottling; the wine subsequently gave its name to the company.

The name commemorates an Etruscan-period onyx quarry at Castelnuovo dell’Abate, near the Abbazia di Sant’Antimo and the small leased parcel. The emblem combines the letters N and L, the initials of the surnames Nannetti and Lopez. The letters are assembled from small stylized chisels, linking the mark visually to work inside a quarry.

A distributed Montalcino estate

The original vineyard and family cellar stand approximately 1 km from the walls of Montalcino. Other vineyards contributing to Cava d’Onice are distributed across the Montalcino growing area. The principal holdings include vineyards near the Basilica dell’Osservanza, overlooking the lower Val d’Orcia.

The company remains entirely family managed. Simone follows Sangiovese from the vineyard through the finished wine, continuing the practical knowledge first acquired alongside his father.

The agricultural operation is described as organic and sustainable, reflecting a stated interdependence between farming and the surrounding environment. The estate also presents its carbon footprint as positive over recent decades.

Vineyard work remains closely tied to the family’s practical experience. Simone began with vine care, pruning and grafting and follows Sangiovese from the land through the finished product. Training systems vary by site: Colombaio and the younger vineyards use spurred cordon, the Rosso vineyard uses Guyot, and the distributed Brunello holdings combine spurred cordon and Guyot. Planting densities range from 4,000 to 4,500 vines/ha.

Harvesting is carried out manually. Sangiovese destined for the rosé sparkling wine is picked in the first ten days of September; the principal red-wine vineyards are generally harvested from late September into early October. Reported vineyard yields vary according to destination and selection, with especially strict selection for Riserva in vintages the family considers excellent.

Production remains under family control, with the family following Sangiovese from the vineyard to the finished wine. The cellar works with concrete and stainless-steel vessels, while the historic Colombaio cru is fermented in concrete. Red grapes are harvested manually and softly crushed. Fermentations for the principal red wines are maintained below 30°C and generally last around 10 days, subject to vintage conditions. Maceration for the Brunello wines lasts 21–28 days, and malolactic fermentation follows alcoholic fermentation.

Ageing uses French and Slavonian oak in several formats. The multi-site Brunello matures in 25–35 hl casks, while Colombaio uses 500–1,500 l French-oak vessels. Riserva is selected only in vintages considered excellent and matures in 10 hl French and Slavonian oak casks, followed by further time in concrete and bottle. Bottle maturation takes place in temperature-controlled rooms, and ageing schedules can be adjusted to the requirements of the vintage.

Selection is central to Riserva production: the best bunches are drawn from the Brunello vineyards, with a maximum production of approximately 2,000 bottles. Every Riserva bottle is numbered by hand, and a small proportion receives a label engraved directly onto the glass by a local craftswoman.