Podere Le Ripi

Francesco Illy, owner of Podere Le Ripi winery, fell in love with Montalcino in 1984, when, working as a nature photographer, he happened to be in this area of ​​Tuscany by chance. It was love at first sight, and Francesco decided to move immediately to Montalcino, without thinking about wine, of which he was still a great lover, focusing on building his own "home". ‘‘The beauty, the distance from everything we call civilization, the absence of modern architecture, the horrible mess of the last century that destroyed entire Italian landscapes, the scents that pervade these hills all year round, the deep view, east of Monticchiello... and Montepulciano, the prehistoric volcano of Monte Amiata to the south, the amphitheater-like hills that protect Le Ripi to the west and north... All this, so wonderful... But also so pristine.’’ Here is what struck Francesco right from the start, almost forcing him to change his life. After about ten years, a dear friend called him, to show him a unique plot of land, one of the last ones left for sale before the dizzying rise in the prices of the vineyards in this area: it was then that Francesco decided to jump into a new adventure, starting to prepare the fields for the vineyards, mainly Sangiovese, with a density of 5,000 plants per hectare. After a few years, however, Francesco wondered if a higher density could have provided fewer bunches per plant, but with a higher quality. That’s how, within a few years, he got to the density of 62,500 plants per hectare, creating the densest vineyard in the world. From this parcel Francesco obtains now the famous Toscana IGT “Bonsai”. Nothing that isn’t natural is allowed between the rows, and therefore they chose to grow each plant in the "old way", treating the soil with principles of biodynamic agriculture, thus managing to express the authenticity of each individual soil, of the different microclimates and of the blends created in the cellar. Vintages are always brought up in the wines. There are now eight labels, where the king is Brunello di Montalcino, presented with different interpretations such as "Amore e Follia", "Lupi e Sirene", and "Amore e Magia".