Salvioni (La Cerbaiola)

Salvioni La Cerbaiola sits in the historic center of Montalcino, where the family stores its wines in a cellar beneath their home. The winemaking tradition reaches back to Umberto Salvioni, Giulio's father, who produced wine for friends and family. Giulio formalized the operation, releasing the first official Brunello di Montalcino in 1985, a moment that coincided with a broader wave of innovation in the Montalcino market. Today the estate is a true family business, with Giulio, son David, and daughter Alessia each taking distinct roles across viticulture, sales, and administration.

• Winemaking heritage predates the formal estate, rooted in Umberto Salvioni's tradition of making wine for friends
• First commercial Brunello release came in 1985
• Wines are stored and aged in the family's cellar in the historic center of Montalcino
• Three family members now share management of the estate

The La Cerbaiola vineyard is divided into three plots, with vines aged between 10 and 25 years. Situated at 420,440 meters above sea level, the site benefits from a south-southeast exposure and excellent ventilation, creating a microclimate well suited to Sangiovese Grosso, the Brunello clone grown here exclusively. The soils are a combination of pebbly galestro, chalky schist, and stony marl, a mix that promotes drainage, limits vigor, and concentrates flavor in the fruit. La Cerbaiola is recognized as one of Montalcino's great crus.

• Soils are pebbly galestro, chalky schist, and stony marl
• South-southeast exposure at 420,440 meters provides excellent ventilation
• Three vineyard plots with vine age ranging from 10 to 25 years
• Only Sangiovese Grosso (Brunello clone) is grown

Salvioni represents the traditional school of Brunello production. Large-format Slavonian oak barrels of 18,22 hectoliters are used for a minimum of 36 months, a method that allows slow, gentle integration without overwhelming the wine's natural acidity and floral character. Brunello di Montalcino requires a minimum of five years total aging from harvest before release. The house style prioritizes ethereal elegance over power, with acidity and floral aromatics defining the wines rather than concentration or oak influence. Winemaking consultant Attilio Pagli works with the family to maintain consistency across vintages.

• Large-format Slavonian oak (18,22 hl) used for minimum 36 months
• Five years total aging from harvest required before Brunello release
• Style emphasizes acidity and floral aromatics over weight and power
• Attilio Pagli serves as winemaking consultant

Salvioni produces just 10,000,15,000 bottles per year across its range, making it one of Montalcino's smallest serious estates. The commitment to quality is most visible in difficult vintages, when the estate declines to produce Brunello at all, directing the entire harvest into Rosso di Montalcino instead. Substandard wines are declassified rather than released under the Brunello label. This uncompromising standard reinforces the estate's reputation as a benchmark producer despite its tiny scale.

• Annual output capped at 10,000,15,000 total bottles
• In poor vintages, no Brunello is produced; all fruit goes into Rosso di Montalcino
• Strict declassification policy ensures only qualifying wine carries the Brunello label
• Scale remains intentionally small to maintain quality control