Pian dell'Orino

Pian dell'Orino was established in 1997 when Caroline Pobitzer, originally from South Tyrol in northern Italy, purchased a property in Montalcino. Caroline had previously managed Castel Katzenzungen in South Tyrol before making her move to Tuscany. The first vines were planted in 1998, and the estate produced its first wines in 2001. Shortly after the purchase, Caroline met Jan Hendrik Erbach, who would become her co-owner and partner in both life and winemaking. The estate sits adjacent to Biondi-Santi's legendary Tenuta Greppo, one of the most storied addresses in all of Brunello di Montalcino.

• Caroline Pobitzer purchased the property in 1997; vines first planted 1998
• First wines produced in 2001, just three years after planting
• Property borders Biondi-Santi's Tenuta Greppo, the historic birthplace of Brunello
• Caroline previously managed Castel Katzenzungen in South Tyrol before founding the estate

Pian dell'Orino is a first-generation estate, owned and run by Caroline Pobitzer and Jan Hendrik Erbach, who serve as co-managing winemakers. Jan brings formal academic training from the prestigious Geisenheim Academy in Germany, one of Europe's leading viticultural universities, as well as practical experience working as an oenologist in France before settling in Montalcino. Caroline brings entrepreneurial experience from managing wine properties in South Tyrol. Together, they have built international recognition for the estate despite arriving in Montalcino as outsiders, demonstrating that rigorous biodynamic farming and meticulous winemaking can establish a new producer among Brunello's elite.

• Jan Hendrik Erbach is originally from Karlsruhe, Germany; studied at Geisenheim Academy
• Jan worked as an oenologist in France before joining the Montalcino project
• Caroline Pobitzer is originally from South Tyrol (Alto Adige), northern Italy
• Both serve as co-managing winemakers; the estate remains entirely family-run in its first generation

The estate's 5.8 hectares of vines are distributed across several distinct named parcels, each farmed biodynamically and harvested by hand. The Vigneti del Versante holdings include the Cancello Rosso and Pian Bassolino vineyards, sitting between 320 and 480 meters elevation. The Bassolino di Sopra parcel occupies 330 to 390 meters, while the home vineyard, Pian dell'Orino, lies nearest the winery at 320 meters. In 2020, the estate planted a vite maritata vineyard, an ancient Italian training method that intertwines Sangiovese with maple and fruit trees, to improve biodiversity and climate resilience; a further new section was planted in 2024. The estate also maintains an olive grove of 1.5 hectares, a half-hectare garden, and 3.5 hectares of forest as part of its whole-farm biodynamic approach.

• Vigneti del Versante (Cancello Rosso and Pian Bassolino) at 320 to 480 meters elevation
• Bassolino di Sopra parcel at 330 to 390 meters; Pian dell'Orino home vineyard at 320 meters
• Vite maritata vineyard planted 2020: Sangiovese interplanted with maple and fruit trees
• New vineyard section planted 2024; total property covers 11.5 hectares including forest and olive grove

Biodynamic certification was achieved in 2003, making Pian dell'Orino one of Montalcino's earliest adopters of the system. Farming follows a lunar pruning calendar and uses herbal sprays rather than synthetic inputs. In the cellar, each vineyard block is fermented separately using spontaneous native yeasts, preserving site expression. The estate works with 22 distinct clones of Sangiovese Grosso, an unusually high number that contributes complexity and genetic diversity. Wines are aged in large oak botti ranging from 10 to 50 hectoliters, a traditional Montalcino format that allows slow oxygenation without imposing heavy oak character. Optical sorting is used to ensure only pristine fruit enters the cellar.

• Certified biodynamic since 2003; biodynamic cellar built 2006; practices include lunar pruning calendar and herbal sprays
• Spontaneous native yeast fermentation; separate fermentation by individual vineyard block
• 22 distinct clones of Sangiovese Grosso planted across the estate
• Aging in large oak botti, 10 to 50 hectoliters; optical sorting used at harvest

Pian dell'Orino demonstrates that first-generation outsiders, without ancestral ties to Montalcino, can reach the appellation's summit through farming discipline and clarity of vision. The 100-point Wine Advocate score for the 2016 Bassolino di Sopra placed the estate among the most discussed names in Italian wine and validated an approach built on biodynamics and terroir transparency rather than prestige or pedigree. The estate's work with vite maritata, biodiversity plantings, and 22 Sangiovese clones also positions it at the forefront of ecological and viticultural experimentation in Tuscany. For students of Italian wine, Pian dell'Orino offers a compelling case study in how organic and biodynamic farming, site-specific winemaking, and minimal intervention can produce Brunello of the highest order.

• 100-point Wine Advocate score for 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Bassolino di Sopra
• Among the first Montalcino producers certified biodynamic (2003), well ahead of the current trend
• Ongoing biodiversity projects including vite maritata (2020) and new plantings (2024) signal long-term commitment to ecological farming
• Proves that non-native founders can achieve elite status in one of Italy's most tradition-bound appellations