Tuscany
Podere Salicutti
Podere Salicutti: The Past, Present and Future of Brunello
Podere Salicutti is more than a Brunello estate — it is a story of vision, persistence, and character.
It began with Francesco Leanza, a Sicilian-born chemical engineer whose weekends in Tuscany turned into a lifelong commitment. In 1990, he sold his small apartment in Rome and bought 11 hectares in the quiet south-eastern slopes of Montalcino. For him, Salicutti was not a business decision, but an oasis untouched by time.
From the start, Leanza worked organically, making Salicutti the first certified organic estate in Montalcino. Over the years he planted just four hectares of vineyards, focusing on quality and authenticity rather than expansion. His wines reflect that philosophy: nothing added, nothing corrected — simply the natural outcome of vineyard and vintage.
Salicutti’s benchmark wine is Piaggione, a Brunello that combines fruit from the Piaggione and Teatro plots. Alongside it, small quantities of single-vineyard bottlings like Sorgente and Teatro reveal the individuality of Montalcino’s terroir. These wines have always carried Leanza’s unmistakable signature: not made for technical perfection, but for those who seek depth, honesty, and personality.
In recent years, Leanza passed the torch to Felix and Sabine Eichbauer of Munich’s Tantris restaurant, longtime admirers of his wines. As part of the transition, Leanza remains at the estate for a few years, ensuring continuity while the future gradually unfolds. Expansion of the cellar and storage facilities had already been part of his plans, and no drastic changes are expected in the near term.
A vertical tasting of Salicutti is not just about comparing vintages — it is a walk through three decades of Montalcino history.