The Pacenti family and its history
The Pacenti estate was established in 1970, with the purchase of the property north of Montalcino (Pelagrilli) by Siro, who then proceeded to plant some important vineyards, which are still there today, in the fresh, clay soils of the land overlooking Siena. In 1988, management passed into the hands of Giancarlo. This was the year of the harvest in which Rosso and Brunello di Montalcino Siro Pacenti were bottled for the first time.
At the beginning of the Nineties, the estate expanded to include land south of Montalcino (Piancornello).
Here, in soils rich in minerals, at the end of the Sixties Giancarlo’s maternal grandfather had planted five hectares of vineyard which were to prove particularly important in determining the characteristics of Siro Pacenti wines. This is now where the Sangiovese rootings used in the estate’s new plantations are reproduced. The Nineties were also marked by the start of the partnership with the University of Bordeaux and the first experiments on phenolic maturity applied to Sangiovese (Yves Glories). The new cellar was built between 2001 and 2004, combining technology and experience with respect for the grapes and the land.
Grape Variety
Sangiovese
Sangiovese has been grown in central Italy for generations, though recent grapevine research suggests the variety is not as ancient as once thought. The quality of Sangiovese wine can be notoriously variable. But in the 1980s, drastically improved winemaking techniques saw a significant shift toward more quality-oriented releases. At the dawn of the 21st Century, Sangiovese equated to roughly one in every ten vines on the Italian peninsula. Partly due to clonal variation it has many synonyms in its native land (see below).
Sangiovese tasting note
Good-quality Sangiovese is generally prized for its acid structure and firm tannins. Savory flavors of dark cherries and black stone fruit are characteristic and may be backed by secondary notes of tomato leaf and dried herbs. The judicious use of oak coaxes richer flavors from the grapes, tending toward plum and wild raspberry.
