Renieri Montalcino The Renieri tenuta, or winery estate, comprises 128 hectares in the southern quadrant of Montalcino, on slopes that face Monte Amiata. Thirty hectares of vineyards are planted at an elevation of 350-420 metres, their exposures forming an arc from southeast to southwest. Following the grubbing-up of the old vineyards, new vines were planted in 1998, at a density of 6,000 vines per hectare. The yield at just one kg. per vine, the equivalent of one bottle of wine, entails the least stress per plant and ensures perfectly ripened fruit, and thus optimal quality. The principal grape variety at Renieri is obviously Sangiovese. A lengthy process of vinification and maturation transforms this raw material into the classic Brunello di Montalcino. But varieties that are more international and less common in this area, such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, and Petit Verdot, have also found their perfect habitat at Renieri.
Blends of these varieties make up two different IGT wines whose highly-respected quality prove that Sangiovese is not the only grape that flourishes in the Montalcino zone. In addition to these IGT wines, an important niche is reserved for Rosso di Montalcino, a wine distinguished from Brunello, its elder brother, by its hallmark early approachability, the result of a less complex ageing process. The local soils are largely volcanic, with strata of schistous limestone and rock. Classic to the area are soils made up of the reddish terra rossa, clays, and calcareous tufa.
