Castello del Terriccio

The owner of this beautiful estate was the recently deceased former equestrian and charismatic patron Gian Annibale Rossi di Medelana Serafini Ferri, an enthusiastic horse breeder who pursued his passion for horses at his stud farm. Il Terriccio quite literally flourished under Gian Annibale. Vittorio Piozzo di Rosignano Rossi di Medelana, born in Turin and Gian Annibale’s only nephew, with whom he shared the passion for this corner of Tuscany, took the reins as his successor in late 2019. Today, Vittorio is at the helm and is responsible for this prestigious agricultural estate. He considers it a “great privilege to have inherited not only a company that produces wines of great value, known throughout the world, but also a winery that represents a unique microcosm in which an unspoilt and almost wild nature provides the setting for a rural settlement that has its own historical and cultural value”.

Its modern history began in the post-war period when the Ferri family bought the historic estate. Until the late 1970s the estate mostly produced cereals, although it also had 25 hectares of vineyards. The main focus of interest was on Bordeaux blends.

By the 1995 vintage the estate in the northern hills of Maremma had firmly established itself as a producer of first-rate wines. The soils of Castello del Terriccio are very similar to those of nearby Bolgheri: the sandy soils of the coast meet the rocks of the hills. The reddish soils are barren, with a high copper, iron, and magnesium content. The maritime Mediterranean microclimate ensures that the autumn storms generally don’t unleash their full force until they reach central Tuscany, sparing the vines in Terriccio. The Mediterranean maquis and the eucalyptus trees growing all around protect the grapes from the wind, but also imbue them with the scents and aromas that characterise the wines of this vineyard. In the state-of-the-art winery, the grapes from the 65 hectares of vineyards are still largely processed by hand.

Since 1993 the renowned oenologist Carlo Ferrini has played a key role in the success of the Castello del Terriccio estate as a consultant, which is why wines such as Lupicaia no longer have to take a back seat to Sassicaia and the like. Working together with the agronomist Emanuele Vergari and the resident oenologist Valerio Corsini, they make a formidable team. Ferrini’s high quality standards drive his constant ambition to create the best (Bordeaux) blends in Italy. And he succeeds in his mission year after year because the wines with his signature stand out thanks to their strong personality and deep connection to the earth, regularly receiving prestigious international awards such as the Tre Bicchieri of Gambero Rosso and Parker Points.