FABs for FOPs # 4 / 10 : Vineyards all over the place

It is quite common for wineries to own several vineyards in quite different parts of Montalcino. There are many single vineyard cru (wines made exclusively from one vineyard, usually bearing the name of that vineyard); Cerretalto from Casanova di Neri, Ugolaia di Lisini, Vigna di Spuntali from Tenimenti Angelini to name but a few.

 There are also many many estates with vineyards in different positions that choose to vinify the vineyards separately and then blend them (as in fact we do at Il Palazzone). If you visit Montalcino at harvest time the roads are full of tractors taking grapes to centralised cellars… since the microclimate of Montalcino is so particular as is the soil (see FABs for FOPS # 3), each different vineyard yields different flavours that are reflected in the final wine.

The location of an estate’s vineyards is something, sadly, that can’t be seen on the Consorzio map...