Fattoria dei Barbi

The Colombini family arrived in Montalcino in 1352 and has owned the Fattoria dei Barbi since the end of the 18th century; the current Fattoria dei Barbi originates from a purchase that family records date to both 1794 and 1795. Paolo Colombini, a notary, followed the Bishop of Lucca to Montalcino. His son Pio Colombini, a professor of medical science, produced the first bottles of Brunello, and the estate has produced Brunello since 1892. Pio's wife, Elina Padelletti, brought the villa Podernovi into the family; the cellar and laboratories are there today. Their son Giovanni Colombini (1906-1976) conceived the public wine shop opened in the Fortress of Montalcino in 1936 and served as mayor of Montalcino. Fattoria dei Barbi was one of the 25 producers of Brunello when the appellation achieved DOC status in 1967. After 1976 the estate was managed first by his daughter Francesca and then by her son, Stefano Cinelli Colombini, who owns it today.

• Colombini family in Montalcino since 1352; Fattoria dei Barbi owned since the end of the 18th century.
• Brunello produced since 1892; one of the 25 Brunello producers when the appellation achieved DOC status in 1967.
• Giovanni Colombini (1906-1976) conceived the public wine shop opened in the Fortress of Montalcino in 1936.
• Managed after 1976 by Giovanni's daughter Francesca, then by her son Stefano Cinelli Colombini, the current owner.

As of October 2026, Stefano Cinelli Colombini is CEO, Jacopo Caporali is responsible for the cellar, Marco Pucino for the vineyards in Montalcino and Stefano Mazzetti for the vineyards in Scansano. Born in Florence in 1956, Stefano Cinelli Colombini has worked on the family properties since 1981 and has been in charge of sales since 1985. In 2008 he coordinated a movement to keep Brunello 100% Sangiovese, which obtained 85% of the votes in the Consorzio del Brunello assembly. He is the author of Appunti per una storia di Montalcino e del Brunello (2016) and Brunello, ritratti a memoria (2020).

• CEO (as of October 2026): Stefano Cinelli Colombini.
• Cellar: Jacopo Caporali. Vineyards in Montalcino: Marco Pucino. Vineyards in Scansano: Stefano Mazzetti.
• Stefano Cinelli Colombini: born in Florence in 1956; on the family properties since 1981; in charge of sales since 1985.

Fattoria dei Barbi lies on a plateau to the southeast of the town of Montalcino. The property extends over 350 hectares of fields and vineyards in Montalcino, Scansano and Chianti. Under Stefano Cinelli Colombini, estate vineyards increased from 22 hectares in 1981 to 86 hectares. Vigna del Fiore, a 5.7-hectare vineyard and one of the oldest on the estate, is the estate's southernmost vineyard: a narrow valley of galestro at 350 meters, near the Ribusuoli stream. The Riserva vineyards are on marl at 400 meters facing southeast, and the Rosso di Montalcino vineyards on marl and shale at 400 to 450 meters. L'Aquilaia dei Barbi, at Scansano, was bought in 1997; of its 100 hectares, 28 are vineyards, all set up for irrigation, on a hill 250 meters above sea level facing the Tyrrhenian Sea. Grapes for the Chianti DOCG come from Montalcino and from rented vineyards in other parts of Chianti Senese.

• 350 hectares of fields and vineyards in Montalcino, Scansano and Chianti.
• Estate vineyards: 22 hectares in 1981, 86 hectares under Stefano Cinelli Colombini.
• Vigna del Fiore: 5.7 hectares of galestro at 350 meters, the estate's southernmost vineyard.
• L'Aquilaia dei Barbi, Scansano: bought in 1997; 28 hectares of irrigated vineyards at 250 meters.

Before fermentation, the Riserva grapes undergo a cold pre-fermentative maceration at 16°C under CO2; fermentation lasts 16 to 17 days at 27 to 28°C. The wine ages first in small and medium oak barrels of 2.25 to 15 hectolitres, then in larger oak barrels, for three years in total, and is bottled at least six months before release. Depending on the vintage, Vigna del Fiore grapes may undergo cryomaceration; the wine matures for at least two years in small and medium oak casks before larger oak casks, then at least four months in bottle. The Rosso di Montalcino has about six months in small and medium oak barrels and stainless steel vats. The estate's site credits Fattoria dei Barbi with creating, in the 1990s, the first 'artificial nose' for analysing wine, and with being, in 2000, one of the first to use carbon dioxide for cold fermentation of red wines. Since 2000, with the University of Bologna, Stefano Cinelli Colombini has been developing four Sangiovese clones from Poggitoia; in 2014, with Pisa University, he formulated a patented protocol for wine production without added sulphites.

• Riserva: cold pre-fermentative maceration at 16°C under CO2; three years in oak; bottled at least six months before release.
• Vigna del Fiore: at least two years in small and medium oak casks, then larger casks and at least four months in bottle.
• Patented protocol for wine without added sulphites, formulated with Pisa University in 2014.

The Brunello di Montalcino range has three labels: the blue-label Brunello di Montalcino, the white-label Vigna del Fiore and the red-label Riserva, made only in vintages with an extraordinary potential for ageing, from the most suitable barrels. All three, and the Rosso di Montalcino DOC, are 100% Sangiovese. Vigna del Fiore was first produced with the 1981 vintage. The range also includes Morellino di Scansano DOCG, Chianti DOCG, Chianti Classico DOCG (80% Sangiovese with 20% international red varieties such as Cabernet and Merlot), Rosso dei Barbi IGT Toscana Rosso, and Brusco dei Barbi IGT Toscana Rosso, a red Giovanni Colombini created in 1969 with very long macerations. Vinsanto dei Barbi is a Vin Santo del Chianti DOC; the estate has produced Vin Santo since 1870. A No Sulphites Added line from Maremma vineyards, with VIVA-certified organic grapes, comprises a Ciliegiolo, a Sangiovese and a Vermentino, all IGT Toscana. The estate also makes Grappa di Brunello, distilled from the pomace of the Sangiovese used for Brunello, and a Grappa Riserva aged in oak kegs. The estate's site credits Brusco dei Barbi as the first 'Super Tuscan' and Grappa di Brunello as the first single-varietal grappa.

• Brunello di Montalcino: blue label (Brunello di Montalcino), white label (Vigna del Fiore), red label (Riserva).
• Rosso di Montalcino DOC, Morellino di Scansano DOCG, Chianti DOCG and Chianti Classico DOCG.
• Brusco dei Barbi and Rosso dei Barbi, both IGT Toscana Rosso; Vinsanto dei Barbi, a Vin Santo del Chianti DOC.
• No Sulphites Added line (Ciliegiolo, Sangiovese, Vermentino); Grappa di Brunello and Grappa Riserva.

Wine Spectator ranked the Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2016 No. 2 in its 2022 Top 100, with 95 points. In a Decanter producer profile last updated in July 2017, Richard Baudains called the blue-label Brunello 'a benchmark for the denomination; highly consistent, approachable when young but capable of ageing,' and wrote that Vigna del Fiore 'has a suave elegance, which again belies its ageing potential.'

• Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2016: No. 2 in Wine Spectator's 2022 Top 100, 95 points.
• Richard Baudains in Decanter (profile last updated July 2017): the blue-label Brunello is 'a benchmark for the denomination'.

The family's stated philosophy is to marry state-of-the-art technology with tradition 'in order to improve all of its products without ever altering its classic character.' The estate calls its Riserva 'an austere wine, great under every aspect with an extreme elegance,' and presents the Rosso di Montalcino as the Montalcino classic 'to be drunk in his youth.'

The Barbi cellar opened to visitors in the 1950s, and more than one and a half million wine lovers have since visited it. The historical ageing cellars hold over 300 large barrels and a collection of the estate's bottles from 1870 to the present. The Museo della Comunità di Montalcino e del Brunello, developed by Stefano Cinelli Colombini between 1997 and 2004, includes the Brunello Labyrinth, an exhibition of over 200 bottles from Montalcino cellars. The Taverna dei Barbi, in a building next to the cellar restored in the late 1960s, offers tastings of the estate's wines with cold cuts and cheeses. The Caseificio dei Barbi, a sheep's-milk cheese dairy, began at Molin del Fiore in the mid-19th century; in the late 1930s Giovanni Colombini put its cheese on sale with his label in the Fortress of Montalcino, and in the 1970s the Caseificio created cacio ubriaco, a pecorino aged in Sangiovese grapes.

• Cellar open to visitors since the 1950s; more than one and a half million visitors.
• Historical bottle collection from 1870 to the present.
• Museo della Comunità di Montalcino e del Brunello, developed between 1997 and 2004.
• Taverna dei Barbi tastings and Caseificio dei Barbi sheep's-milk cheese dairy.

Primary sources (producer's own site): https://www.fattoriadeibarbi.it/en/, https://www.fattoriadeibarbi.it/en/estates/, https://www.fattoriadeibarbi.it/en/historyandfamily/, https://www.fattoriadeibarbi.it/en/stefano-cinelli-colombini/, https://www.fattoriadeibarbi.it/en/wines/, https://www.fattoriadeibarbi.it/en/historical-cellars/, https://www.fattoriadeibarbi.it/en/brunello-museum/, https://www.fattoriadeibarbi.it/en/taverna-dei-barbi/, https://www.fattoriadeibarbi.it/en/caseificio-dei-barbi/, https://www.fattoriadeibarbi.it/en/our-staff/, https://www.fattoriadeibarbi.it/en/brunello-di-montalcino-riserva-docg/, https://www.fattoriadeibarbi.it/en/brunello-di-montalcino-vigna-del-fiore-docg/, https://www.fattoriadeibarbi.it/en/rosso-di-montalcino-doc/, and the estate's news page on the Vigna del Fiore 2021 (https://www.fattoriadeibarbi.it/en/wine-spectator-a-second-97-point-wine-for-fattoria-dei-barbi-brunello-di-montalcino-vigna-del-fiore-2021/). Official source: Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino, producer listing (https://www.consorziobrunellodimontalcino.it/en/1398/barbi). Secondary sources: Decanter (Richard Baudains, last updated 28 July 2017) and Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2022 (issue date June 30, 2022). Last verified 2026-10-14. Where the producer's site and a secondary source disagree, the producer's site governs.