THE ESTATE
IL PETRICCIO
A SEVEN CENTURIES
HISTORY
Il Petriccio estate, whose existence has been documented since 1427, was purchased by Luigi Fontanelli in 1919 and is now managed by Paolo, his great-grandson.
After a brilliant career in the world of fashion, Paolo decided to fully dedicate his time to viticulture, a passion that until that moment he had always carried out as a second activity.
In the estate wines, olive oil and vinegar of high quality and with a unique flavour are produced following sophisticated enological and farming criteria, fully respecting the land that since the Renaissance has been producing wines famous to be elegant, complex and long-lived.
Il Petriccio estate originated in the Renaissance period, more specifically in 1427, the year in which the first documents that prove the existence of the estate with its land and a small building showed up.
Il Petriccio is located in a particularly beautiful area in the heart of Tuscany, in the municipality of Castelfiorentino, on the shores of the Elsa River, at an equal distance between the cities of Florence, Siena, Pisa and Lucca.
It consists of a main building – an eighteenth-century villa – and some additional buildings of various types, mostly already existing in 1820 when the first cadastral map of the area was drawn, and thirty hectares of land.
Cadastral map
1820
The historical documents, including those found at the Regional Historical Land Registry of Tuscany, allowed us to reconstruct with great detail the history of this ancient estate. They prove that already in the Renaissance, the vineyards and olive groves of Il Petriccio were renowned for their quality.
Luigi Fontanelli
He purchased il Petriccio in 1919
Luigi Fontanelli
He purchased il Petriccio in 1919
The historical documents, including those found at the Regional Historical Land Registry of Tuscany, allowed us to reconstruct with great detail the history of this ancient estate. They prove that already in the Renaissance, the vineyards and olive groves of Il Petriccio were renowned for their quality.
Luigi Fontanelli, descendant of a family that owned a mill located in the hamlet of Dogana, adjacent to Castelfiorentino, purchased Il Petriccio on December 18th, 1919.
Today, Paolo Fontanelli, Luigi’s great-grandson, dedicates himself with passion to the production of wines, olive oil, vinegar and to the management of its charming holiday farm.
Paolo Fontanelli in 1970
Paolo Fontanelli in 1970
Luigi Fontanelli, descendant of a family that owned a mill located in the hamlet of Dogana, adjacent to Castelfiorentino, purchased Il Petriccio on December 18th, 1919.
Today, Paolo Fontanelli, Luigi’s great-grandson, dedicates himself with passion to the production of wines, olive oil, vinegar and to the management of its charming holiday farm.
OUR PRODUCTION
PHYLOSOPHY
Paolo considers himself the custodian of a property rich in history and beauty where vines and olive trees have always thrived: the awareness of this cultural heritage guides him every step of the way.
A deep love for the land and the tradition have led Paolo to choose a philosophy of minimalist production with few interventions.
Paolo Fontanelli at work
Paolo Fontanelli at work
OUR PRODUCTION
PHYLOSOPHY
Paolo considers himself the custodian of a property rich in history and beauty where vines and olive trees have always thrived: the awareness of this cultural heritage guides him every step of the way.
A deep love for the land and the tradition have led Paolo to choose a philosophy of minimalist production with few interventions.
Respect for biodiversity and natural cycles are the basis from which all the work begins, with the awareness that only a high degree of harmony in the vineyard can lead to the creation of a quality wine expressive of the territory.
For this reason, the interventions in the vineyard and in the cellar are only those that are indispensable, that is, we act only when necessary to safeguard the grapes.
Paolo accompanies the grapes’ journey from the moment of harvesting through to the transformation of must into wine and in all the subsequent phases. What happens in the cellar is the natural consequence of what has been prepared during the long months of the vine vegetative cycle: fermentation, remontage, and decanting are done according to modern enological criteria but completely respectful of tradition.
