Montecucco

Castello ColleMassari

Wine has been made in the Montecucco area since the time of the Etruscans, a tradition now continued by Maria Iris Bertarelli and Claudio Tipa, who purchased the vineyard in 1999 to be the heart of the Domaine that it was their vision to create. ColleMassari produced its first vintage in 2000 and in 2014 the group was named Cellar of the Year by the prestigious and renowned Gambero Rosso guide.

The Castello ColleMassari winery is located in Cinigiano in the foothills of Monte Amiata, about 1050ft (320m) above sea level. It is about 24 miles (39km) to the north-east of Grosseto in the DOC Montecucco, which is famous for its particularly favourable micro-climate. The Castello ColleMassari is not only a medieval castle, its structure is more similar to a fortified hamlet, founded by Cistercian monks and the Santa Maria della Scala Hospital in Siena in the 8th century. During this time, they set up a crop system consisting in 22 grance, that could explain the name "Massari". In the Middle Ages, the term "Massari" or massaro referred to a representative of a complex agricultural organisation, with the main farm house located in the middle and called massa.