History
Medieval origins and the Tricerchi family
The castle originated in the thirteenth century, when the Altesi family built it on the Via Francigena at Montalcino. In 1290, the Tricerchi belonged to Siena’s ruling oligarchy and sat in the Government of Nine, the council formed by the city’s nine most powerful families. By 1330 they had become Provveditori delle Biccherne, magistrates responsible for the finances of the Republic of Siena and connected with the monks of San Galgano.
The Tricerchi family completed the castle in 1441. This date is treated as the foundation year of Castello Tricerchi and later gave its name to the A.D. 1441 label.
Public office, pilgrimage and the chapel
In 1569, during the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, the Medici appointed members of the Tricerchi family to public functions in Siena. Their noble standing was affirmed and they obtained responsibility for the administration of Montalcino.
Under Spanish dominion around 1600, the castle became an important point of refuge and assistance for pilgrims travelling along the Via Francigena toward Rome. During the seventeenth century, the chapel originally enclosed within the fortified walls was transferred to the end of the avenue and dedicated to the Virgin of the Veil.
In 1700, the Chapel of the Virgin of the Veil was built in its new setting. It preserves a fragment identified as part of the Virgin’s veil together with the associated Papal Bull. The family received a plenary indulgence in the same year.
Succession to the Squarcia family
In 1800, Maddalena, known as Nena, transferred the castle and its property to her eldest son, Julio Squarcia. He became the ancestor of the present family. The Squarcia family, described as the direct descendants of the Tricerchi, continues to use the castle as both its residence and the estate headquarters.
Heritage protection and the modern vineyards
In 1982, Castello Tricerchi was formally declared part of Italy’s historical and artistic heritage. In 1995, Emanuele planted the property’s first Brunello vineyards. The modern estate now extends over 400 hectares on Montalcino’s northern side, with 13 hectares devoted exclusively to Sangiovese Grosso.
Terroir
Castello Tricerchi occupies the northern side of Montalcino. Its vineyards surround the castle and lie between approximately 250 and 290 metres above sea level. The northern position brings cooler conditions and pronounced day-to-night temperature changes.
The estate’s prevailing exposures are north and west. The main Brunello sites are described with west to north-west orientations, while lower sites associated with Rosso di Montalcino and Toscana IGP face west to south-west. The predominantly northern orientation supports gradual, even ripening.
The soils have a medium texture and combine limestone-rich clay with sand. This composition recurs across the estate’s vineyard and production descriptions.
Winemaking
All 13 hectares of vines are planted to Sangiovese Grosso. The vineyards are divided among named parcels around the castle and trained to spurred cordon, Guyot or both, depending on the site. Documented planting densities range from approximately 4,000 to 4,500 vines per hectare.
Cultivation follows organic principles centred on respect for nature and cooperation between people and the natural environment. Harvesting is manual throughout the range. Grapes for the principal Brunello selections undergo careful selection before vinification.
Recorded yields vary with site and intended wine: approximately 60 quintals per hectare for the principal Brunello vineyards, 65 quintals per hectare for the Rosso sites, and 68 quintals per hectare for the vineyards represented in the 2021 Iuli’o material. Corresponding yields per vine range from 1.4 to 1.5 kg. Harvest dates in the documented vintages fall between mid-September and the beginning of October.
Historic cellar
The cellars occupy the castle’s former dungeons. Thick masonry and air chambers above and below the rooms maintain a stable temperature throughout the year.
Fermentation and maceration
Fruit is harvested and selected by hand. Fermentations use indigenous or spontaneous yeasts. Vinification takes place in temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks, with the documented red-wine protocols ranging from 15 to 30 days of skin contact at 23–26°C. The longest treatment includes 30 days of submerged-cap maceration; another protocol employs frequent remontage during a 15-day maceration.
Maturation
Traditional maturation centres on large Slavonian oak casks. Documented vessels include 15- and 20-hectolitre casks, with maturation periods varying from six months for a youthful expression to 24–36 months for Brunello selections. Other approaches include stainless-steel maturation and, in an earlier general protocol, three months in reused barriques. Documented bottle refinement is at least four months for Rosso and at least eight months for Brunello.
Philosophy
People, shared experience and enthusiasm form the centre of Castello Tricerchi’s identity. The family presents its work as a collaboration among generations and long-serving members of the team, joining intimate knowledge of the vineyards with the momentum of a younger generation.
In the vineyard, the guiding principle is respect for the relationship between people and nature. Organic principles shape cultivation, while predominantly northern exposures, measured yields and manual harvesting are used to pursue balanced ripening.
In the cellar, the approach combines controlled stainless-steel vinification with indigenous fermentation, long skin contact and traditional maturation in large Slavonian oak. The stated objective is to allow Sangiovese to convey the character of Montalcino rather than to make oak the dominant feature.