Il Palagione is an historic farmstead dating back to 1594, set along the scenic road connecting San Gimignano to Volterra. The old farmhouse, placed on a hilltop, is recorded at the Land registry as building of notable historical value due to the unaltered features of rural architecture and up to mid-twentieth century held the farmer families working on surrounding terrains. Chasing a dream, we decide to purchase (1995) the estate in order to reestablish such important agricultural reality.
In short time, the ancient farmhouse is restructured and vineyards are replanted on terrains that once were vines. (1997/2001) Afterwards a cellar is built (2001) provided with the most modern equipment to grapes delicate and respectful processing, building underground a barrique (oak barrel) to obtain the best and natural wine preservation in oak wood and a balanced bottled maturing. With the later acquisition (2014) of vineyard at Montagnana, the business reaches an approx. 50-hectare land surface of which 17 destined to specialized vineyard, 3 olive trees, 7 walnut and cherry trees and the remaining part arable and wood land.
We wanted to replicate archaic gestures for pleasure to feel moving, to be, to think, like pruning: you clip while looking for the coming production, you collect wood and leave it to dry for few seasons and then burn it, cooking on it and heating the old farmhouse. We yearned to be uncomfortable, physically tired but intellectually happy, focused on a project not aimed to reach one’s choice result in the immediate future but shifted forward according to rhythms of nature.
We wanted to give our children the chance of an unconditional, undemanding choice, a conscious choice; the industrial and service world was already familiar, now it was time to show another face.
And loving since forever wine, medieval history and Romanic art, we could not have chosen a better place than Tuscany.