Le Chiuse

Simonetta Valiani is the current owner of this small Ilcinese winery with a historic and glorious past. And she herself is a descendant of one of the most celebrated families of Montalcino: in fact, this farmhouse was part of the possessions of the Biondi Santi family, already owners of the famous winery of the same name: the farm was in fact brought as a dowry at the end of 1700 by Maria Tamanti when married Clemente Santi. Her daughter Caterina married Jacopo Biondi and their son Ferruccio, Simonetta Valiani's great-grandfather, respecting his mother's wishes, added the maternal surname "Santi" to his. And it is Ferruccio himself who has the happiest intuition of all: making the selection of the Sangiovese vine, identifying the Grosso (or Brunello) variety as the best clone for the production of Brunello. Choice that started the birth of the most famous Italian wine in the world! Tancredi, Ferruccio's son, bequeathed "Le Chiuse" and two other farms to his daughter Fiorella, urging her, however, never to sell this company "because the famous Brunello Biondi Santi per le Riserve was born there". From that moment, Fiorella always rented the farm to her brother Franco (Biondi Santi), until the latter's death in 2013. And here we are in recent history, that is, with the death of Fiorella in 1986, her daughter Simonetta Valiani takes up the baton , inheriting from his grandfather Franco Biondi Santi the love for this land and the passion for wine. And so, together with her husband Nicolò Magnelli, she began important renovation work on the property, also creating an underground cellar, but above all planting new vineyards. Today, around 30,000 bottles of excellent wines are produced in this cellar every year, including Rosso, Brunello and also a very particular sparkling wine. The choice to produce organically, the choice to produce according to tradition and the consistency of correct prices have, over time, rewarded the efforts of Simonetta and Nicolò, rewarding them with excellent recognition, even at an international level.