A PORTRAIT OF THE WINERY

Tenuta Castelbuono came about in 2001 and is the property of one of Italy’s most important winemaking families, the Lunellis, famous for their Ferrari spumante, which they produce in Trento. They took a big step away from the world bubbles when they felt a strong desire to try their hand at making wine in the land of sagrantino. Their Umbrian properties lie outside of Montefalco and Bevagna, and a team of enologists working for the family have been working for several years now on a special research programme in one of the historical vineyards, owned for over forty years now by the family, to exploit the best vines and use them in the new vineyards. All of this is being done with the collaboration of researchers from the Istituto Agrario di San Michele all’Adige, who have been in on the project since its inception. The winery itself is a unique masterpiece of architecture that originated from the brilliant mind of one of Italy’s greatest sculptors, Arnaldo Pomodoro. After having gazed over the gently rolling Umbrian hills that host the estate, the sculptor came upon the idea to shape the building something like a turtle, the ancient symbol of stability and longevity. This original form made the cellar and its land the first “habitable sculpture” in the world.

THE VINEYARD AND TERROIR

Of the thirty hectares of vineyards, more than half is located in the Montefalco area and dedicated to the production of sagrantino grapes. It has a northern exposure and its soil is a well-structured muddy-clayey composition containing organic material that holds up well during dry spells. The other half of the vineyards are in the Bevagna area near to the cantina and enjoy a mostly southern exposure.

THE GRAPE VARIETIES GROWN

Sagrantino is grown on 14 of their vineyard hectares, while the rest grow sangiovese, cabernet sauvignon and merlot grapes.

WINES

Tenuta Castelbuono produces two wines. The first is a Montefalco Sagrantino made with grapes grown in Brogliano, the winery’s historical vineyard. The wines are aged in tonneaux and large wooden barrels, then blended and left to refine for long periods in the bottle. Their other wine is a roSSo di Montefalco made with a selection of the best grapes from their vineyards. It is aged in small wood, mostly tonneaux and barriques. Both wines are elegant and complex in their expression.