Costanti Winery

Conti Costanti was founded in 1555 in the province of Siena. Today the winery is owned by Andrea Costanti, and the winemaker is Vittorio Fiore. Costanti currently has 25 acres under vine with an average yearly production of about 60,000 bottles.

Points of Differentiation

• The soil is composed of galestro and contains fossils that date back to the Cretaceous period
• Estate Grown, Estate Bottled
• Consistent vintage to vintage quality
• The Costanti Family has been producing wines in Montalcino since the late 1700s
• A benchmark Brunello estate

The History

The noble Costanti family goes back a long way – at least to Renaissance times. One of several famous counts, Costanti – Tito – was both a lawyer and a winemaker, and anticipated the present DOCG and DOC denominations. Not only was he one of the very first to use the name Brunello for Montalcino red wines, but the methods he employed were strikingly similar to those used for Brunello and Rosso di Montalcino today.

Costanti Brunellos, however, were jealously guarded wines until the early 1960s, circulating solely among the owners’ friends and family. This changed with count Emilio Costanti, physician and grape-grower, who first put the family name on the wine map. Dr. Costanti had no children. After maximizing the winery’s potential and releasing the first “public” vintages, Emilio traced the sole living descendant of the ancient Sienese family, Andrea Costanti, a fresh graduate in geology at the University of Siena with no background in wine.

Andrea was appointed as the legendary count’s heir and successor in 1983 and immediately proved himself well worthy of Emilio’s trust. He not only coped with his new responsibilities but enhanced the family’s reputation for making great Brunello. Andrea achieved this by relying on his excellent instincts for wine, and an in-depth knowledge of the terrain’s geological components. In time, these natural skills were perfected, so that he eventually styled the range together with the winemaker, Vittorio Fiore.

The Terroir

The range has the unmistakable imprint of the Matrichese cru, yielding Brunellos of unparalleled elegance and complexity, with luscious, focused berry fruit, remarkable structure, and exquisite balance.

Today, the Matrichese terroir remains the heart of the estate and covers 25 acres of high-rising vines, at an altitude of 1,312-1,476 feet above sea level. A 10-acre vineyard flanks it located in Montosoli at 1,181 feet above sea level.

The harvest takes place between the first and second week of October. After 14 to 21 days’ temperature-controlled fermentation on the skins in stainless steel vats of max. 50-hl. capacity, the wine undergoes the mandatory élevage in oak, then six months’ minimum maturation in bottle. The result is a sumptuously full-bodied, rich, complex wine with deep, opulent fruit, and sturdy sustaining acidity and tannins, leading to grandeur and great longevity.

The vineyards are clayey/calcareous, with a density of 3,500 vines per acre, and the soil is poor in organic components. This ensures higher extract and concentration as well as ample, elegant aromas.