Siro Pacenti

The southern vineyard before the estate

In the late 1960s, Giancarlo Pacenti’s maternal grandfather planted a five-hectare vineyard at Piancornello, south of Montalcino. This vineyard subsequently became important to the character of Siro Pacenti’s wines. Its Sangiovese material is also used to propagate the young vines planted in newer vineyards.

1970: foundation at Pelagrilli

Siro Pacenti founded the estate in 1970 by purchasing the Pelagrilli property on the northern side of Montalcino. Important vineyards were planted during this period on the cool, clay-rich soils facing toward Siena. Some of those early plantings remain in production. The single vineyard later associated with Brunello di Montalcino Riserva PS was planted by Siro Pacenti in this northern area at the beginning of the 1970s.

1988: Giancarlo Pacenti takes over

Management passed to Giancarlo Pacenti in 1988. That year’s harvest produced the first estate-bottled Rosso di Montalcino and Brunello di Montalcino carrying the Siro Pacenti name.

Early 1990s: expansion and research

At the beginning of the 1990s, the estate expanded by consolidating land at Piancornello, south of Montalcino. This brought the five-hectare vineyard planted by Giancarlo’s maternal grandfather into the developing estate structure.

The same period marked the beginning of collaboration with the University of Bordeaux. Work with Yves Glories included the first experiments applying the study of phenolic maturity to Sangiovese.

2001–2004: the new cellar

A new winery was built between 2001 and 2004. Its conception brought technology and accumulated experience together around careful handling of the grapes and respect for the land.

2015: sustainable supply-chain initiative

In 2015, Siro Pacenti di Giancarlo Pacenti acted as lead applicant for the proposed territorial and multi-supply-chain project “Montalcino: Alta Qualità Sostenibile,” covering the wine and olive-oil sectors. The proposal sought certified quality-system participation, structural and technological modernization, stronger overall agricultural sustainability, investment in processing and commercialization, development of non-agricultural activities, and a pilot management system focused on product quality and sustainable operation.

All 22 hectares of vineyard are planted entirely to Sangiovese. The estate describes the variety as capable of achieving its fullest expression as a monovarietal wine at Montalcino when site, climate, exposure and human skill work together.

Vineyard work is presented as decisive to the production of intact, high-quality bunches. Harvest takes place by hand around the end of September, and the fruit is transported to the winery without being crushed or damaged. Harvest specifications give a production level of 800–1,000 g per vine.

The estate practices sustainable agriculture. The individual wine protocols consistently combine hand harvesting with strict fruit selection: manual sorting is performed on dedicated tables, while optical berry selection after destemming is also used for Rosso di Montalcino. The experience and dedication of the vineyard team are treated as essential parts of quality control.

Winery and grape reception

The present winery was constructed between 2001 and 2004 to unite technology with accumulated experience while preserving respect for the grapes and land. Broom and lavender grow along its walls.

Bunches are harvested manually and delivered intact. Fruit from every parcel is subjected to strict selection and checked berry by berry. Sorting protocols include manual selection on dedicated tables before destemming; the Brunello protocols also specify manual sorting after destemming, while the Rosso protocol employs optical berry selection after destemming.

Separate vinification

Each vineyard is vinified separately so that its individual characteristics remain distinguishable. Fermentation takes place in stainless-steel tanks under controlled temperature conditions.

Maturation and blending

Maturation uses 225-litre French-oak barrels. The range’s protocols call for 12 months in oak for Rosso di Montalcino and 24 months for the Brunello wines, followed by bottle ageing.

During the first months of maturation, the wines are racked and tasted repeatedly. Final blends among the different parcels are assembled in February. Brunello di Montalcino Riserva PS is the exception: it comes from one parcel and is matured and bottled separately.

The wines then undergo a long, gradual evolution intended to move the tannins from youthful vigour toward finesse and complexity. The wines are bottled without filtration; naturally occurring sediment is accepted as a consequence of this approach.