Cupano
クパーノ
Cult Montalcino Sangiovese aged without new French oak
Cupano is a tiny, cult estate on Podere Centine in the southwest corner of Montalcino, founded in 1994 by Frenchman Lionel Cousin — a former Burgundy protégé of legendary winemaker Henri Jayer through journalist Jacky Rigaux — and his wife Ornella Tondini. The 35-hectare property had lain abandoned for decades, giving them a blank, chemical-free canvas to farm organically and, soon after, biodynamically, with just a few hectares under vine. True to Jayer's Burgundian ethos, Cupano works with native yeasts, ages on fine lees, and bottles unfiltered and unfined. Its flagship Brunello di Montalcino, made from 100% Sangiovese, is aged not in small new French barriques but in large 25-30hl casks of Slavonian oak — a deliberate choice to protect the purity of fruit and terroir over overt oak character, though French (Burgundian-style) barriques are used for some of the estate's Bordeaux-variety and Sant'Antimo wines. Production is minuscule and highly allocated, giving Cupano an outsized cult reputation among collectors. Lionel Cousin passed away in 2021; the estate is now carried forward by Ornella Tondini and winemaker Andrea Polidoro.
www.cupano.it/ ↗Cuvées
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Who Is This For?
For collectors seeking a rare, terroir-driven Brunello made by Burgundian-trained hands, favoring large old-cask aging over the overt oak of many modern Montalcino wines.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Cupano use French oak barrels?
- Cupano's flagship Brunello di Montalcino is not aged in new French oak barriques — it is aged in large 25-30 hectoliter casks of Slavonian oak to preserve the purity of the Sangiovese fruit and terroir. French (Burgundian-style) barriques are used only for some of the estate's other Bordeaux-variety and Sant'Antimo cuvées.
- Who founded Cupano and what is its winemaking philosophy?
- Cupano was founded in 1994 by Frenchman Lionel Cousin, a protégé of Burgundy legend Henri Jayer, and his wife Ornella Tondini. The estate follows Jayer's minimal-intervention ethos: organic and biodynamic farming, native-yeast fermentation, aging on fine lees, and bottling without filtration or fining.
- Why is Cupano considered a cult producer?
- Cupano farms only a few hectares within its 35-hectare Podere Centine estate, producing tiny volumes of hand-crafted Brunello and Sant'Antimo wines that are tightly allocated, making the wines highly sought after among collectors.
- What is Cupano's flagship wine?
- Cupano's flagship wine is its Brunello di Montalcino, made from 100% Sangiovese and aged in large Slavonian oak casks for a minimum of 36 months before release.