Podere Salicutti

Podere Salicutti was founded by Francesco Leanza, and then transitioned with the utmost care to Felix and Sabine Eichbauer who carry on the tradition of winemaking with humility, maturity, and conviction. As the first organically certified estate in Montalcino with vines dating back to 1994, Salicutti prides itself on wines that showcase the uninhibited brilliance of its terroir.

In the Tuscany region of Italy, a pleasant hour-and-a-half drive south from Florence, the three Salicutti vineyards extend out from the original farmhouse (which also serves as winery, cellar, and lodging) and offer up some of the most carefully cultivated Sangiovese in the region. With manual tending of the vines and soil during the spring months followed by a meticulous harvest, each cluster is hand-picked at its ideal ripeness.

The 11-hectare property includes 4.5 hectares of vines with Sangiovese that grow on three adjoining plots. Each different cru is named to symbolically represent that specific site's attributes. Teatro — a Roman theatre, Sorgente — a garden in springtime, and Piaggione — a steep hillside. Each of the vineyards is oriented somewhere between southwest and southeast, sitting at 420-500 meters in elevation, and with a hilly character. The vineyards receive optimal sunshine with the grapes shielded from the cool northern winds, yet still receiving aeration allowing a continual ripening without fear of disease.

At just 35 kilometers from the sea the climate remains mild and balanced, and the soil (created roughly 60 to 80 million years ago as sediment from igneous rock that accumulated on the sea and lake beds) is comprised of sedimentary rock made of clay, sandstone, and calcareous sand, known as “marne.” These calcareous soils offer an ideal foundation for the challenges posed by Sangiovese.

“The land preceded us; it now nourishes our vines, and it will be here when we are gone,” Sabine and Felix Eichbauer affirm — a mantra that encapsulates their respect for nature, including their dedication to biodiversity at the winery. A focus on fostering typicity and the fullest expression of Podere Salicutti’s strengths results in uniquely beautiful and complex wines that never fail to delight.

Our Relationship

Francesco Laenza and I met in 2015 and I was nervous about it. A friend had told me was looking to sell the property and at the time I had dreams of making Brunello (with no clue as to how). Francesco is this sort of admired and feared guy… devoted to his vines, he moved from Catania (Sicily) to Montalcino in the early '90s when Montalcino only had about 80 producers. He wanted to plant and farm organically, which was a new concept at the time. Unmarried and without children, the vines were his family... so the concept of potentially buying the property from an iconic producer was nerve racking. I couldn't afford the winery, and I should have known, but the view is amazing, the wines were inspiring, and the man was as cool as they get. I brought my wife, Angela, and our two boys back to the property several times before he sold the property in 2016. Now I'm hopeful the new owners of Podere Salicutti take as much pride in this amazing place as Francesco did, while forging their own path forward on this amazing vineyard.

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