Agostina Pieri
Overview
The small Pieri estate sits on seven providential hectares in Castelnuovo dell’Abate, at the southern edge of the Montalcino plateau.
From its founding in 1991, Francesco Monaci viewed Rosso di Montalcino not as declassified Brunello, but rather as an equal interpretation of his terroir.
The wines have a unique combination of accessible fruit and classical structure, perhaps explaining why they have such an incredible restaurant following year after year.
Agostina Pieri Gallery
When Agostina and her son, Francesco Monaci, established Pieri in 1991, they had little idea where the project would take them. But the potential was enormous: the family’s land was in the prized southern edge of Montalcino’s plateau, and Francesco’s uncle was famed producer and former consorizo president, Giancarlo Pacenti.
Pieri’s seven-hectare vineyard is perfectly situated, with a full southern exposure that allows for consistent ripeness and balance in its old, low-vigor Sangiovese clones. Grapes are harvested by hand and strictly sorted to eliminate substandard fruit. Fermentations take 25-30 days in vat and stainless steel before racking into large Slavonian oak casks and used French demi-muids.
Interestingly, this is one domaine that takes great pride in its Rosso, treating it as an equal interpretation of Montalcino’s terroir. Unlike many estates that view Rosso as a lesser Brunello, Pieri aims to make an excellent Rosso in each vintage, and only produces Brunello when select fruit offers the structure for longer aging.
Pieri is among just a handful of growers to ever earn Gambero Rosso’s prestigious Tre Bicchieri score for its “mere” Rosso di Montalcino.
In fact, one of their early Rossos, the 1995, was the first Rosso di Montalcino to ever earn a coveted tre bicchieri (three glasses) review from Gambero Rosso. That wine, with its amazing concentration and persistence, caused a sensation that outpaced most Brunellos and set a new paradigm for the appellation.
In the intervening decades, Francesco has continued to elevate the standard for both Rosso and Brunello. With ripeness and concentration quite reliable at Pieri, the focus now is crafting Sangiovese with greater finesse.
Like many estates, Pieri’s winemaking has evolved to use ever-gentler extractions and softer elevages. And with today’s warmer vintages, Francesco has also altered his vineyard husbandry to better withstand heat and drought.
The results, writes Antonio Galloni, are “wines that deliver the goods, both in terms of quality, but also in value, something that isn't easy to say these days about the wines of Montalcino.”
With Pieri accomplishing so much in such a short time, we are honored to represent them, and are excited to see how far the estate will go in the decades to come.
Background
Obsessive about quality, Francesco and his immediate family do all the vineyard work themselves—maximizing the potential of each vine. Fruit is sourced from an 11 hA vineyard on a gentle, south-facing slope in the southern, Castelnuovo dell’Abate zone of Montalcino (5.5 hA entitled to Brunello, 1.5 hA entitled only to Rosso, and 4 hA of Sant’Antimo). Multiple leaf pickings are employed, plus a green harvest as necessary. Fruit is 100% destemmed.
- Established: 1991
- Proprietor: Agostina Pieri
- Winemaker: Francesco Monaci
- Appellation: Montalcino (Piancornello)
- Soils: Galestro and lime-rich clay
