History
A historical connection with Montepulciano
Tenuta Calimaia represents the Frescobaldi family's return to Montepulciano. The project is associated with the exploratory spirit of Lionardo Di Niccolò Frescobaldi, a member of the family who was active as an explorer, writer and merchant.
In 1385, Lionardo recorded his travels in Journey to Egypt and the Holy Land. His account of setting sail provides a historical motif for the estate and its emphasis on exploration.
In 1390, Lionardo became mayor of Montepulciano, establishing the historical connection that the modern Calimaia project recalls.
The vineyards
A Sangiovese vineyard now used for the single-vineyard Viacroce was planted in 2003. It occupies a south-south-eastern site at 300 metres above sea level in Pieve Cervognano.
The modern estate
The modern project brought the Frescobaldi family back to Montepulciano and to Cervognano, a historically established area for Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Tenuta Calimaia now extends over approximately 70 hectares between the Val di Chiana and Val d'Orcia. Its vineyards encircle the Monteliscione hill and support three estate expressions: Tenuta Calimaia, Tenuta Calimaia Riserva and the single-vineyard Viacroce.
Terroir
Tenuta Calimaia occupies gentle hills between the Val di Chiana and Val d’Orcia. The approximately 70-hectare property lies in Cervognano, an area historically associated with Vino Nobile di Montepulciano production.
The vineyards form a crown around the Monteliscione hill at approximately 300 metres above sea level. Their exposures and soil types vary, allowing different varieties and vineyard selections to be matched to distinct conditions.
This is described as the lowest part of the production area. Its relatively low elevation brings higher temperatures, while the soils have a substantial clay component. Together, these conditions foster structured, powerful wines with abundant tannins and the capacity for prolonged ageing.
The underlying geology is Pliocene in origin and generally poor in organic matter, conditions considered particularly suitable for Sangiovese, traditionally called Prugnolo Gentile in the area. Estate vineyards include clay sites as well as soils containing sand and yellow sandstone. In the single vineyard associated with Viacroce, the clay-rich loam contains marine clays of Pliocene origin and numerous fossils.
Winemaking
Grapes for the documented estate wines are harvested by hand. For the Riserva, selection is carried out carefully in the vineyard before the fruit reaches the cellar. Viacroce is harvested by hand from its single Sangiovese vineyard.
The estate differentiates its vineyards by exposure and soil type, using those variations to suit the cultivated varieties and to preserve the character of individual sites. The principal documented vineyard is Viacroce, planted in 2003 on a south-south-east-facing slope at 300 metres.
The documented red-wine production follows a common core process. Hand-harvested grapes are vinified in stainless-steel tanks at a controlled maximum temperature of 26 °C, with spontaneous fermentation. Skin maceration is supported by frequent pumping over during the initial fermentation phase. For Tenuta Calimaia and the Riserva, a délestage is performed during the intermediate phase, followed by gentler or renewed pumping over toward the end. The Riserva's documented maceration lasts 20 days. Malolactic fermentation is completed in stainless steel before winter.
Tenuta Calimaia matures for 24 months in 50 hL oak barrels and then for four months in bottle before release.
The current Riserva protocol likewise uses 50 hL oak barrels for 24 months, followed by six months in bottle. The 2019, 2020 and 2021 Riserva vintages instead spent 36 months in 50 hL oak barrels and six months in bottle, showing a change in the maturation regime with the 2022 vintage.
Viacroce is vinified from hand-picked Sangiovese grown in one vineyard. Fermentation and maceration take place in temperature-controlled steel tanks over 25 days, with frequent pumping over during the early stages. Malolactic fermentation occurs in steel. For the 2022 vintage, maturation lasted 24 months in wood—12 months in barriques and 12 months in 50 hL French-oak barrels—followed by one year in bottle. The 2021 vintage was matured for 24 months in 50 hL French-oak barrels and then for one year in bottle.
Philosophy
Tenuta Calimaia is framed as a return to Montepulciano inspired by the exploratory disposition of Lionardo Di Niccolò Frescobaldi. This historical reference gives the project a dual perspective: renewed engagement with Montepulciano and continuity with a family connection documented in the fourteenth century.
The estate’s approach centres on interpreting differences in exposure and soil across the vineyards surrounding Monteliscione. Viacroce expresses this most explicitly: it is presented as an interpretation of the strength of one Sangiovese vineyard in Pieve Cervognano and as a tribute to a land whose character continues to reveal itself.
The production identity is oriented toward time and maturation. Clay-rich soils, warm conditions, Sangiovese’s tannic structure and extended oak and bottle ageing are brought together to produce expressions intended to develop over time.
Wines
