Montalcino is a village of about 5,000 inhabitants perched on a hill at 564 metres of altitude, in the province of Siena. It would be a medieval village like many others in Tuscany - beautiful, well-preserved, panoramic - were it not for one thing: the Brunello di Montalcino, the most important and internationally acclaimed Italian red wine.
Inside the medieval Fortress of Montalcino there is a wine shop where you can drink Brunello while looking out over the Val d’Orcia from the ramparts. It is probably the most scenographic wine shop in Tuscany.
Montalcino: the village that changed Italian wine
The Brunello di Montalcino was created in the 19th century by the Biondi-Santi family. The patriarch Ferruccio Biondi-Santi isolated a particular clone of Sangiovese called Brunello and understood that vinified pure, with long ageing, it produced wine of exceptional quality and longevity.
The Brunello di Montalcino DOCG was the first obtained in Italy, in 1980. The production regulations are among the strictest: only pure Sangiovese, at least 5 years of ageing (6 for the Riserva), no blending.
Today Brunello is produced by over 250 wineries in the Montalcino area and reaches prices that can touch several hundred euros per bottle for the most sought-after labels. But there are also Rossi di Montalcino - the younger sibling - more accessible, offering the same elegance of local Sangiovese at considerably more affordable prices.
The Montalcino Fortress: views and tasting
The Medicean Fortress of Montalcino is the most visible monument of the village. Built by the Sienese in 1361, it was reinforced by the Medici after the conquest of Siena in 1555. The perimeter walls are intact, the towers preserved.
Inside the Fortress there is a wine shop that sells and allows tasting of Brunello, Rosso di Montalcino and other local wines. It is probably the most scenographic wine shop in Tuscany: you drink Brunello inside the walls of a medieval fortress, with the view over the Val d’Orcia from the ramparts.
The walkway on the walls is open to the public and offers 360-degree panoramas over the surrounding countryside - the Val d’Orcia to the south, Monte Amiata to the east, the Sienese hills to the north.
The historic centre: squares and churches
The historic centre of Montalcino is compact and walkable in an hour. The main streets - Via Ricasoli, Via Mazzini, Via Matteotti - descend from the Fortress towards the main square.
Piazza del Popolo: the civic heart of the village, with the Palazzo dei Priori (the town hall) and its arcades. There are restaurants and cafés under the arcades.
Sant’Agostino and the Civic Museum: the Gothic church of Sant’Agostino and the adjacent Civic Museum preserve medieval and Renaissance artworks of quality, including 14th and 15th-century Sienese school paintings.
Duomo di San Salvatore: the main cathedral, rebuilt in the 19th century in Neoclassical forms - architecturally less interesting than the other buildings.
Montalcino wineries: how to visit them
Montalcino wineries are located both in the village centre and in the surrounding countryside. The most famous - Biondi-Santi, Banfi, Casanova di Neri, Poggio di Sotto - are outside the village, in panoramic positions among the vineyards.
Most require advance booking. The best time to visit wineries is spring and autumn; in summer some reduce their hours.
Tastings at Montalcino wineries tend to be more formal and expensive than those in Chianti - Brunello is a wine of considerable value, and the wineries communicate this in their prices and approach.
Brunello vs Rosso di Montalcino: which to choose
Brunello di Montalcino DOCG: at least 5 years of ageing (2 in large oak barrels, 4 months in bottle). Prices from €30-40 per bottle for the basic version, up to hundreds for top labels. A wine for special occasions.
Rosso di Montalcino DOC: same grape variety and zone as Brunello, but only 1 year of ageing. It is the “second wine” of many wineries - more accessible and to be drunk young. Prices between €15 and €25. Often, at the same price point, it offers more immediate pleasure than a young Brunello.
For a first-time visitor to Montalcino, starting with the Rosso di Montalcino and working up to the Brunello is the most sensible approach.
How to get there from Poggibonsi
From Poggibonsi, Montalcino is about 90 kilometres. The most comfortable route:
- SS2 Via Cassia heading south as far as Torrenieri
- From Torrenieri, turn off for Montalcino (13 km)
The journey takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Parking is outside the village, free or paid.
Combining Montalcino with Pienza in a day
Montalcino and Pienza are about 22 kilometres apart. Combining them in a day works well: morning in Montalcino (Fortress + historic centre), lunch in Pienza or an agriturismo in the Val d’Orcia, afternoon in Pienza (square, palace, Pecorino).
From Hotel Alcide in Poggibonsi, the transfer to the area takes about 1 hour. A departure at 8.30-9am allows you to be in Montalcino by 10am and return to Poggibonsi by 7pm.
Planning a trip to Tuscany?
Hotel Alcide is in Poggibonsi, in the heart of the Val d’Elsa.
25 km from Siena, 12 from San Gimignano, in the heart of Chianti.
The Ancillotti family has welcomed guests here since 1849.
