Sassotondo

Sassotondo was founded in 1990 when Carla Benini, an agronomist, and her husband Edoardo Ventimiglia, a documentary filmmaker, moved to the Sovana area of the southern Maremma seeking a new direction outside Rome. They found a single hectare of vineyard, a dilapidated house, and vast stretches of neglected land that they would gradually reclaim and replant. Over the following decades the couple built Sassotondo into a model of small-scale, place-driven Italian winemaking and one of the country's most respected Ciliegiolo specialists. Edoardo became a pioneering long-term grower of the variety, which had been declining across Italy as international varieties spread. The estate adopted biodynamic methods in 2007 and continues to operate as a traditional mixed farm of vines and olives.

• Founded 1990 by Carla Benini (agronomist) and Edoardo Ventimiglia (documentary filmmaker) in the Sovana area of the southern Maremma
• Began with one hectare of vineyard, a dilapidated house, and vast stretches of neglected land that the founders reclaimed
• Edoardo Ventimiglia is one of Italy's pioneering long-term Ciliegiolo growers, sustaining the variety as it declined elsewhere
• Biodynamic methods adopted in 2007; estate operates as a traditional mixed farm of vines and olives

Sassotondo occupies a distinctive position in the southern Maremma between the Etruscan tufa towns of Sovana and Pitigliano. The estate sits on volcanic soils of tufa, clay, and basalt that distinguish the eastern Maremma from the gravelly coastal zones to the west. Vineyards are planted at moderate elevations on south- and west-facing slopes, with the volcanic tufa imparting distinctive mineral character and helping the vines maintain freshness in the warm Mediterranean climate. The combination of volcanic soils and biodynamic farming has become Sassotondo's signature, producing wines with distinctive aromatic clarity and structural definition that reflect both the variety and the singular Pitigliano-area terroir.

• Estate located between the Etruscan tufa towns of Sovana and Pitigliano in the southern Maremma
• Vineyards on volcanic soils of tufa, clay, and basalt; distinctive from the gravelly coastal zones to the west
• Volcanic tufa imparts distinctive mineral character and helps vines maintain freshness in warm Mediterranean climate
• Biodynamic farming and volcanic soils combine to produce wines with aromatic clarity and structural definition

Ciliegiolo is the heart of Sassotondo's identity, with five single-varietal bottlings that each express a different vineyard microzone or winemaking approach. Edoardo Ventimiglia has been one of Italy's most influential long-term advocates for Ciliegiolo, which had nearly disappeared from many traditional growing zones before being championed by a small group of Maremma producers. The estate's flagship single-varietal Ciliegiolo wines include Poggio Pinzo and San Lorenzo. Beyond Ciliegiolo, the estate produces Sangiovese-based reds, a Bianco from indigenous white varieties traditional to the Pitigliano area, and small-production specialty bottlings. Winemaking is minimal-intervention, with native-yeast fermentations and aging in large neutral oak rather than new barriques.

• Five single-varietal Ciliegiolo wines, each expressing a different vineyard microzone or winemaking approach
• Edoardo Ventimiglia is one of Italy's most influential long-term advocates for Ciliegiolo, which had nearly disappeared from many traditional zones
• Flagship single-varietal Ciliegiolo wines include Poggio Pinzo and San Lorenzo
• Minimal-intervention winemaking with native-yeast fermentations and aging in large neutral oak rather than new barriques

The Sassotondo range centers on Ciliegiolo. The estate's entry-level Ciliegiolo Maremma Toscana DOC offers approachable, juicy expression with bright cherry fruit, violet aromatics, and low tannin for early drinking. Poggio Pinzo is a single-vineyard Ciliegiolo with greater concentration and structural depth, intended for cellaring. San Lorenzo represents the estate's flagship Ciliegiolo, sourced from old-vine plantings on the most distinctive volcanic parcel. Beyond Ciliegiolo, Sassotondo bottles a Sangiovese-Ciliegiolo blend (Numero Sei), a Bianco di Pitigliano based on Procanico and Greco, and limited-release special bottlings. Wine Spectator has identified Sassotondo's Ciliegiolo as one of Tuscany's greatest chillable summer reds, recognizing the variety's distinctive lightness and aromatic profile.

• Sassotondo Ciliegiolo Maremma Toscana DOC = entry-level expression with bright cherry, violet, and low tannin for chillable early drinking
• Poggio Pinzo = single-vineyard Ciliegiolo with greater concentration and structural depth, intended for cellaring
• San Lorenzo = flagship Ciliegiolo from old-vine plantings on the most distinctive volcanic parcel
• Wine Spectator has identified Sassotondo's Ciliegiolo as one of Tuscany's greatest chillable summer reds

Sassotondo is one of the small group of Maremma producers credited with rescuing Ciliegiolo from near-disappearance and demonstrating its capacity for serious quality. Through five distinct single-varietal bottlings, the estate has shown that Ciliegiolo, long dismissed as a rustic blending grape for Sangiovese, can produce wines of aromatic precision, structural definition, and terroir transparency that rival more famous native Italian reds. The volcanic tufa terroir of the Pitigliano area gives Sassotondo a distinctive identity within the Maremma Toscana DOC, distinct from the gravelly coastal zones to the west. Carla Benini and Edoardo Ventimiglia's combination of agronomic rigor and creative communication has made Sassotondo one of the most respected small producers in southern Tuscany.

• One of the small group of Maremma producers credited with rescuing Ciliegiolo from near-disappearance
• Five distinct single-varietal Ciliegiolo bottlings demonstrate the variety's capacity for serious quality and terroir transparency
• Volcanic tufa terroir of the Pitigliano area gives Sassotondo a distinctive identity within the Maremma Toscana DOC
• Combination of agronomic rigor (Carla Benini) and creative communication (Edoardo Ventimiglia) has built Sassotondo's reputation as a respected small producer