Our Story
A family, three generations, a passion that endures.
A terroir shaped by the winds
Located in the sunny south-eastern part of "Montalcino Continent", on the first foothills of the extinct volcano Mount Amiata, a sacred mountain and olympus of the Etruscan people, between 200 and 400 meters above sea level, "Corte dei Venti" is situated in the center of a terroir slice, between the medieval villages of Sant'Angelo in Colle and Castelnuovo dell'Abate. This area is characterized by cool, red hilly terrain, composed of calcareous and ferrous clay with mineral and volcanic contributions. The name "Corte dei Venti" (Court of Winds) derives from the particular confluence of sea breezes that constantly blow over this hill, providing a typically Mediterranean microclimate, free of fog and humidity, with spring rains. The vineyards, sloping from 300 to 100 meters above sea level, benefit from particular microclimatic conditions and winds coming from the sea - in a straight line, it is only about 35 kilometers away - that blow over the estate, ensuring the health of both the vines in their vegetative phase and the grapes during harvest. In fact, the long daylight hours are optimal for the gradual and complete ripening of the Sangiovese bunches, preserving their aromas.
Thus, it is in this particular terroir and in these perfect climatic conditions that Montalcino's iconic grape variety, trained using the spurred cordon system, finds one of its highest expressions. The label itself features a wind rose, which aims to evoke the reality of this territory, where the particular confluence of winds, blowing constantly, even in August, creates a typically Mediterranean climate, free of fogs, with spring rains, ensuring favorable and healthy conditions for the vines from the vegetative phase until the harvest. To understand the optimal harvest time, in addition to specific laboratory analyses on phenolic maturity, the gustatory balance of the grapes is evaluated directly in the vineyard, particularly with the experience of winemaker Gabriele Gadenz. The harvest is manual and involves a rigorous selection of the bunches: "This operation represents for the farming world not only the culmination of a very hard year of work," Clara Monaci tells us, "but a moment of celebration, joy, and healthy aggregation in a ritual that maintains a mysterious charm, as few other harvest-related rituals can boast. And until a few decades ago, generations of a family's history, men and women, old and young, but also friends and relatives, all gathered in the vineyards for the harvest." But the harvest, which certainly means new beginnings, moments of enthusiasm, a sparkling atmosphere like the first must, requires extreme attention from the winemaker because a good wine is obtained starting from good grapes, which also depends on how they are harvested and the state of the berries before pressing.
The winery and the passion for Brunello
The winery, modern and largely underground, has controlled temperature and humidity, divided into two distinct zones: one for winemaking with steel tanks and the other for aging in wooden barrels. Winemaking involves soft pump-overs and delestages at a controlled temperature of a maximum of 24°C. Maceration on the skins, depending on the type of wine and grape variety, ranges from 12 to 28 days. The period of maturation in wood is preceded by malolactic fermentation, which takes place in steel, and the natural decantation phase during the winter. This artisanal winery is tenaciously run by Clara, a passionate and cheerful woman, just as her mother Silvana did before her, and her daughter Elena will do in the future. It is a story of women and their generational passion for traditional Brunello: sincere, elegant, and understated, always in keeping with the grape variety/terroir combination. With its classic, airy, and increasingly expressive Brunello wines, inextricably linked to the terroir, which express both its power and generosity, and at the same time its elegance and sobriety, Corte dei Venti is now firmly established as a top-tier brand in the crowded and competitive landscape of Montalcino. "Our hope is to continue to impress wine critics and wine lovers with our red wines in the years to come," comments Clara Monaci, "so the awards and accolades we receive are a great incentive to improve further and work hard."
History of Viticulture
Grape cultivation has ancient origins; it was certainly known in ancient Egypt several millennia before Christ. The first in Italy to plant vineyards were the Phoenicians, and soon after, the Greeks, who were experts in viticulture. In the Greek world, wine was considered a gift from the gods, and all activities connected to it often provided access to rituals that blended the profane dimension of man with the sacred dimension of Nature. But the civilization that, more than any other, spread the vine throughout the Mediterranean was the Roman one: in Rome, the grape harvest was imbued with an aura of sacredness, and the "Vinalia" were solemnly celebrated in honor of the god Jupiter. With the advent of Christianity, wine became part of the mystery of the Eucharist, and the vine was elevated to a symbol of hope.