ITALY

Beautiful Brunello

Pieve Santa Restituta is beautifully nestled in the rolling landscape of Montalcino, just south of Siena. It is the first estate that Angelo Gaja invested in outside of Piedmont. The farm had long been abandoned, and the 16 hectares that had previously been planted with vines and various mixed crops lay fallow. Angelo quickly realized that the lean, calcareous soils were perfectly suited for viticulture. The gently sloping vineyards are located just over 350 meters above sea level and face southwest with perfect exposure. The estate is named after the church of Santa Restituta, which dates back to the 4th century. Angelo restored the church to its former glory. To avoid encroaching on the beautiful architecture of the village, Angelo built the entire winery underground. The state-of-the-art facility was completed in 2005, which was also the first vintage of the two single-vineyard wines, Sugarille and Rennina. Awards have been pouring in since the start, and Pieve Santa Restituta is ranked as one of the absolute top producers in Brunello di Montalcino.