Tiberini

The Tiberini family's story exemplifies the social and economic transformation of 20th-century Tuscan agriculture. For generations, the family worked at Podere Le Caggiole as tenant sharecroppers on land owned by the Gamberucci family, a common arrangement in pre-1960s Italian agriculture in which workers received a share of the harvest in exchange for labour. The mezzadria sharecropping system began breaking down in the post-war decades, and in 1962 the Tiberinis were able to buy back the farm they had worked for so long, a moment that captures the broader emergence of family-owned working-class agricultural enterprises across Tuscany. The estate has been farmed by Tiberini family ownership ever since, with the modern enterprise reflecting seven generations of accumulated viticultural and winemaking knowledge.

• Tiberini family worked at Podere Le Caggiole as tenant sharecroppers under the Gamberucci family for generations
• 1962: Tiberinis bought back the farm they had worked, transitioning from sharecroppers to owners
• The buy-back exemplifies the post-WWII transformation of Tuscan agriculture and the end of the mezzadria sharecropping system
• Seven generations of family knowledge accumulated at the Podere Le Caggiole estate

Podere Le Caggiole occupies a part of Montepulciano's Le Caggiole locality, where viticulture is documented for over two thousand years across Etruscan, Roman, medieval, and modern eras. The estate's vineyards include the historic Vecchja Vigna, planted in 1918 by founder Giuseppe Tiberini (nicknamed Sabreo, 'the sober') and one of the oldest continuously farmed vineyard parcels in the Vino Nobile DOCG zone. Elevations are typical of the appellation (approximately 300 to 500 metres), with the continental climate that defines Montepulciano: warm growing days, cool nights, and the diurnal temperature variation that preserves acidity in Prugnolo Gentile (the local Sangiovese clone). Soils combine clay-limestone components with sandy patches across the estate's parcels, providing the structural diversity that supports the family's distinctive vineyard-by-vineyard approach to vinification.

• Podere Le Caggiole in Montepulciano's Le Caggiole locality; documented viticulture for over two thousand years
• Vecchja Vigna planted 1918 by founder Giuseppe Tiberini (Sabreo); one of the oldest continuously farmed parcels in the DOCG
• Elevations ~300-500 metres typical of the appellation; continental climate with strong diurnal temperature variation
• Soils: clay-limestone with sandy patches across parcels, supporting vineyard-by-vineyard vinification approach

The Tiberini family's distinctive winemaking signature lies in the vineyard-by-vineyard approach: each vineyard parcel is harvested individually, vinified separately, and matured in its own oak vessel for two years before any blending decisions are made. This methodology requires the family to manage a substantial number of separate fermentations and aging vessels for what is ultimately a small-production estate, but it preserves the distinctive character of each site and gives the family complete control over the final blend composition. Fermentations are conducted with native yeasts in temperature-controlled vessels, with extended maceration on the skins. Aging combines large traditional oak with smaller barrels selected for cleanliness and aromatic precision. The wines emerge with clear terroir identity, fine tannin, fresh acidity, and the cumulative complexity of seven generations of accumulated cellar-craft knowledge.

• Each vineyard parcel harvested individually, vinified separately, and matured in its own vessel for 2 years before blending
• Approach preserves parcel-by-parcel character and gives the family complete control over final blend composition
• Native yeast fermentation; extended skin maceration
• Aging combines large traditional oak with smaller barrels selected for cleanliness and aromatic precision

Tiberini's range centres on Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG with multiple bottlings reflecting the family's vineyard-by-vineyard approach. The Vino Nobile DOCG presents the family's house style with balanced Prugnolo Gentile-driven structure. The Vino Nobile Riserva DOCG, including the Fossatone Riserva, represents the prestige tier from selected old-vine lots and extended aging. The Vecchja Vigna bottling sources from Giuseppe Tiberini's 1918-planted vineyard, offering rare access to nearly century-old Sangiovese genetics. Rosso di Montepulciano DOC offers the earlier-drinking expression, and the lineup includes Toscana IGT bottlings. Production volumes are modest by Vino Nobile standards, reflecting the labour-intensive vineyard-by-vineyard methodology and the small estate scale.

• Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG: estate flagship presenting the family's vineyard-by-vineyard house style
• Vino Nobile DOCG Riserva (including Fossatone Riserva): prestige tier from selected old-vine lots and extended aging
• Vecchja Vigna: bottling sourced from Giuseppe Tiberini's 1918-planted vineyard, rare access to nearly century-old vines
• Rosso di Montepulciano DOC: accessible early-drinking expression of the estate house style

Tiberini welcomes visitors by appointment at Podere Le Caggiole for cellar tours, vineyard walks (including access to the 1918-planted Vecchja Vigna), and tastings across the range. The estate occupies a distinctive narrative position in the Vino Nobile appellation: a seven-generation family producer working land their ancestors farmed as sharecroppers, with the 1962 buy-back representing one of the most evocative stories of 20th-century Tuscan agricultural transformation. The Vecchja Vigna, now over a century old, gives Tiberini access to vine genetics and root systems that few other Vino Nobile producers can match. The combination of deep family history, exceptional vine age, and the disciplined vineyard-by-vineyard methodology makes Tiberini a producer of particular interest to sommeliers and collectors seeking rare expressions of old-vine Vino Nobile from a small, family-run estate.

• Visitor tastings, vineyard walks (including 1918-planted Vecchja Vigna), and cellar tours by appointment
• Distinctive narrative: seven-generation family working land their ancestors farmed as sharecroppers; 1962 buy-back transformation
• Vecchja Vigna (1918 plantings) gives Tiberini access to vine genetics and root systems exceeding a century
• Wines favoured by sommeliers and collectors seeking rare old-vine Vino Nobile from small family-run estate