La Palazzetta
La Palazzetta is located on the southeast side of Montalcino, in the hamlet of Castelnuovo dell'Abate, where the hill opens up to one of the most beautiful views of the Val d'Orcia: in front, the medieval castle with the walls of the episcopal palace, and below, the Abbey of Sant'Antimo, solitary and white in the valley floor. It is here, at 365 meters above sea level, on calcareous soils rich in skeleton, that the Fanti family has been cultivating Sangiovese and olive trees for generations.
Its recent history began in 1988, when Flavio Fanti transformed the family business—until then dedicated to cereals, cheeses, and livestock—into a wine and olive oil winery, starting with just one hectare of vineyard. Today, La Palazzetta boasts 20 hectares of vineyard and 3,000 olive trees, and is run by Flavio alongside his wife Carla and children Luca and Tea—the latter having a degree in enology. It is an entirely family-run operation: grape harvesting and winemaking are managed solely by the Fantis, with no external delegation.
The company's philosophy is direct and unadorned: "in the cellar, we preserve the product that nature gives us, without alterations." The vineyards have been certified organic since 2018, using native yeasts, temperature-controlled fermentations, approximately 20 days of maceration, and aging in large French oak barrels. No additives, no forcing. The company is completely eco-sustainable, powered solely by renewable sources, and in 2016 received the "Ecofriendly Winery" diploma. Luca's declared goal, who now leads the production side, is to achieve Brunello wines completely free of added sulfites.
The result is Brunello wines of classic and southern character—fleshy, powerful, structured, with the typical depth of Montalcino's southeast side where the warmer climate yields grapes of great ripeness. Wines built to last, which demand time but reward with complexity.
La Palazzetta is located on the southeast side of Montalcino, in the hamlet of Castelnuovo dell'Abate, where the hill opens up to one of the most beautiful views of the Val d'Orcia: in front, the medieval castle with the walls of the episcopal palace, and below, the Abbey of Sant'Antimo, solitary and white in the valley floor. It is here, at 365 meters above sea level, on calcareous soils rich in skeleton, that the Fanti family has been cultivating Sangiovese and olive trees for generations.
Its recent history began in 1988, when Flavio Fanti transformed the family business—until then dedicated to cereals, cheeses, and livestock—into a wine and olive oil winery, starting with just one hectare of vineyard. Today, La Palazzetta boasts 20 hectares of vineyard and 3,000 olive trees, and is run by Flavio alongside his wife Carla and children Luca and Tea—the latter having a degree in enology. It is an entirely family-run operation: grape harvesting and winemaking are managed solely by the Fantis, with no external delegation.
The company's philosophy is direct and unadorned: "in the cellar, we preserve the product that nature gives us, without alterations." The vineyards have been certified organic since 2018, using native yeasts, temperature-controlled fermentations, approximately 20 days of maceration, and aging in large French oak barrels. No additives, no forcing. The company is completely eco-sustainable, powered solely by renewable sources, and in 2016 received the "Ecofriendly Winery" diploma. Luca's declared goal, who now leads the production side, is to achieve Brunello wines completely free of added sulfites.
The result is Brunello wines of classic and southern character—fleshy, powerful, structured, with the typical depth of Montalcino's southeast side where the warmer climate yields grapes of great ripeness. Wines built to last, which demand time but reward with complexity.
