Gracciano della Seta

The Gracciano Estate is one of the oldest wineries in the Montepulciano region. In the beginning of the 19th century, Gracciano was owned by the Svetoni family who built the Villa and created the Italian-style gardens that surround it. With over 400 hectares and 22 farms, the extensive Gracciano Estate also produced a wide variety of typical Tuscan products.

Today, the winery covers roughly 70 hectares of which 20 are vineyards. The vines grow on the clay and silty soil of the Gracciano hills, one of the oldest and most prestigious crus of Montepulciano. 

The new winemaking facility, designed in 2013, coexists harmoniously with the old buildings of the Estate, consisting of the Villa and the adjoining farmhouse, as well as with the garden and the surrounding countryside. The sleek new buildings seem to blend perfectly with the sloping terrain. Their traditional red brick exterior, however, hides state-of-the-art wine-making equipment and machinery.

The winery has always been run by renowned oenologists (such as Nicolò d’Afflitto from 1985 and Beppe Rigoli since 1995) who ensured that the Tenuta di Gracciano produced an excellent Vino Nobile, fully respecting the terroir and using autochthonous vines. In fact, Beppe's philosophy is based on the respect of the terroir: technological innovations in wine-making and ageing processes are reduced to a minimum so as to respect the local grape varieties. For this reason no chemical fertilizers or pesticides are used and every effort is made so that the wines fully reflect the characteristics of the terroir and that all technological procedures preserve the qualities of the raw material. Since 2015, The Gracciano Estate practices an organic viticulture.

The Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is one of the oldest and most prestigious Tuscan wines: it comes from a clone of the Sangiovese variety which in Montepulciano is called Prugnolo Gentile, because of its characteristic plum bouquet.

The special link between Sangiovese and the terroir, going back to ancient times, as well as the rich sand and clay soil, create the ideal conditions for producing full-bodied, aromatic wines with delicate tannins.

Since 1980, the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is a “vino a denominazione di origine controllata e guarantita (DOCG)” (controlled and guaranteed designation of origin), which corresponds to the highest recognition on the Italian wine market.

The objective of Gracciano della Seta is to produce wine that deeply respects all the characteristics of both the territory and the Prugnolo Gentile variety. The winemakers seek to create an elegant and traditional wine, placing particular emphasis on the selection of the wooden casks used for ageing alongside a small number of 5 hl tonneaux. The result is a wine with a long history and tradition passed down from generation to generation, a well-defined style and a generous terroir.