Poggio Antico

Poggio Antico is located in Montalcino, a small town in Tuscany about fifty kilometers south of Siena. The earliest written records of the estate date from the beginning of the 19th century, when the present boundaries were marked. At that time, the estate consisted of woodland, grassland, and three stone houses. The development of Poggio Antico started in the late 1970s, when electricity was brought in, vineyards were planted, and construction of the wine cellar began.

The estate was purchased in 1984 by Giancarlo and Nuccia Gloder, originally from Milan, who had fallen in love with the wines of Montalcino and the unique geographical position of Poggio Antico. They had become enchanted with the beauty of this particular area of Tuscany after purchasing a smaller property in the area with olive groves and woods, but no vineyards.

Their youngest daughter, Paola, has managed Poggio Antico since 1987. Her husband, Alberto Montefiori, joined her in this task in 1998. Claudio Ferretti supervises the cellar and the vineyards, and Lia Rocchi is responsible for the warehouse.

The estate includes about 200 hectares (500 acres) of beautiful woods, fields, olive groves and vineyards. Located at an average altitude of approximately 450 meters (1,476 feet) above sea level, Poggio Antico is one of the highest altitude producers of Brunello. The steady breezes at this altitude sweep away morning and evening fogs and early frosts, and dry the grapes after every rain, thereby preventing the development of mold and allowing us to avoid anti-mold chemical treatments. This highly privileged position and sunny vineyards facing south to southwest guarantee optimum growing conditions, particularly during the crucial maturation period when the grapes gradually reach a perfect balance between sugar and acidity.

The calcareous and rocky soil ensures perfect drainage and is particularly suited for growing the high quality grapes necessary for full-bodied wines such as Brunello. The unique combination of altitude, positioning, and soil quality give Poggio Antico wines their special character and elegance.

About 32.5 hectares (80 acres) of the estate are under vine. Of these, 15.5 hectares (38 acres) date from the '70s and are in the process of being uprooted and replanted in order to increase the plant density, which used to be 3,300 vines per hectare (1,350 vines per acre) and in the new vineyards is now 6,060 (2,453 vines per acre). To meet the sustained and increasing request for Poggio Antico wines, a decision was made to expand the vineyard surface area rather than increase the yields which would have reduced quality. Consequently, another 17 hectares (42 acres) were planted in May 1997 and May 2001.

Of the total surface of the vineyards, 30 hectares (74 acres) are planted with Sangiovese (also called “Brunello” when planted within the territory of Montalcino) and 2.5 hectares (6.00 acres) with Cabernet Sauvignon, which was planted in 1997 to be blended with Sangiovese for our “Supertuscan” wine Madre, born with the 2001 vintage.