Cerbaia

In the hills of Montalcino, Tuscany, lies Cerbaia — a family estate with quiet purpose. Founded in 1978 by Fabio Pellegrini and led today by his daughter Elena, the humble estate is just 12 hectares in total, with just 4.5 devoted to Brunello. The slopes face north-west and sit at 350-400 metres above sea level. What matters most here is the grape.

That grape is Sangiovese, the lifeblood of Tuscany. Its name translates loosely as “blood of Jove,” and it’s as changeable as the land itself. In youth it’s all cherries and violets, a flash of herbs, sometimes a little dust. With age it turns darker, drawing in leather, spice, and tobacco. At Cerbaia, planted high on clay and galestro soils, Sangiovese shows both tension and grace — firm at first, then layered, unfolding slowly with time.

The flagship is Cerbaia Brunello di Montalcino. Pure Sangiovese, aged long, structured in youth. Firm tannins, red cherry, herbs. With years, it softens: leather, spice, earth. A Tuscan wine of patience, built to evolve and reward.

Cerbaia also makes Rosso di Montalcino, Brunello’s younger sibling. Same grape, less ageing. Brighter, fresher, ready sooner. Red berries, lively acidity. Perfect with tomato pasta, grilled meats, pecorino. Where Brunello asks for time, Rosso gives immediacy.

Sangiovese here is more than a grape. It’s Tuscany in glass — cherries and violets in youth, leather and tobacco with age. At Cerbaia, the grape carries hillside and heritage in equal measure.

Questions often arise about Cerbaia Italian wine in the broader context: how does it compare? The answer is in its authenticity. These are not mass-market bottles but carefully tended, small-production wines. Prices reflect that rarity, but also the labour and patience required by Brunello’s long ageing laws — a minimum of five years before release, with at least two spent in oak. By the time a bottle reaches you, it has already been given time by the estate itself.

At The Reserve Cellar, we are proud to be the exclusive importer of Cerbaia wines in Australia. We cellar Cerbaia wines until they’re ready to speak. Each bottle holds more than Brunello or Sangiovese. It holds Montosoli — soil, sun, family, and the slow rhythm of Tuscan time.