Mastrojanni

Purchased in 1975 by Roman lawyer Gabriele Mastrojanni, the San Pio and Loreto estates were originally virgin woodland and grazing grounds for sheep. Believing this land to be particularly fertile, Mastrojanni began planting vineyards with the intention of making high quality Brunellos in the late 70s.

In the early 90s, his son Antonio Mastrojanni began to manage the winery, and was joined by enologist and current consultant Maurizio Castelli. Based in Rome, the Mastrojanni family placed their trust in Andrea Machetti, who then formally took over the reins of running the azienda.

In the late 1990s, Francesco Illy of Gruppo Illy S.p.A. bought a vineyard neighbouring the Mastrojanni estate, and, after developing a friendly partnership with Castelli and Machetti, bought the Mastrojanni winery outright in 2008. Enologist and producer remain the same, and the Mastrojanni reputation as robust as ever.

In Montalcino, in the hamlet of Castelnuovo dell’Abate, lies the Mastrojanni estate. The 13th century observation tower, which then became the Poderi Loreto and San Pio, sits on the hill 400 metres high, two kilometres from the Orcia River mouth, between the Rocca d’Orcia and Castiglione d’Orcia.

The microclimate around the Mastrojanni estate is determined by the large extinct volcano, Mount Amiata, where at night winds come down from the mountain that cool down the vines.