Podere Le Ripi
ポデーレ・レ・リピ
Biodynamic Montalcino estate famed for the world's densest 'Bonsai' vineyard.
Founded in 1997 by Francesco Illy (of the Illy coffee family) and led since 2012 by winemaker and CEO Sebastian Nasello, Podere Le Ripi is a Demeter-certified biodynamic estate near Castelnuovo dell'Abate on the southeastern slopes of Montalcino, with additional plots near Camigliano to the west. The estate is famous for its 'Bonsai' vineyard, the world's densest at 62,500 vines per hectare, and for its 'Golden Cellar,' a circular, gravity-fed winery built by hand according to the Golden Ratio without any metal fixtures. Farming is treated as a holistic, philosophical practice: spontaneous fermentations, minimal sulfur, and gravity-flow vinification produce energetic, terroir-driven Brunello di Montalcino and Rosso di Montalcino from predominantly Sangiovese vineyards.
www.podereleripi.com/ ↗Cuvées
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Who Is This For?
For wine lovers seeking authentic, terroir-driven Brunello di Montalcino and those fascinated by radical, philosophy-driven biodynamic viticulture.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What makes Podere Le Ripi's vineyards unique?
- The estate's experimental 'Bonsai' vineyard is the densest in the world, with up to 62,500 vines per hectare (vines spaced just 40cm apart), forcing roots to grow deeper and yields per vine to drop dramatically.
- Is Podere Le Ripi certified biodynamic?
- Yes. The estate began transitioning to biodynamic farming in the early 2010s and achieved full Demeter biodynamic certification in 2012, treating the whole farm as one interconnected living organism.
- What is the 'Golden Cellar' and how does it affect the wine?
- The Golden Cellar is a circular, gravity-fed winery built by hand from roughly a million bricks proportioned according to the Golden Ratio, with no metal used in its construction to avoid magnetic interference. Grapes enter at the top and gravity carries them down through fermentation and aging, eliminating the need for mechanical pumping.
- Who makes the wine at Podere Le Ripi?
- Sebastian Nasello, who joined as lead winemaker in 2012 and is now also CEO, oversees winemaking with a minimal-intervention, biodynamic philosophy. He won the prestigious Giulio Gambelli Award in 2016.
- What wines does Podere Le Ripi produce?
- The estate's core range includes Brunello di Montalcino bottlings such as Amore e Magia and Lupi e Sirene Riserva, plus Rosso di Montalcino and IGT Toscana wines including the experimental 'Bonsai' cuvée, made mainly from Sangiovese.