Design Wineries
Spending time in Maremma is the perfect chance to discover the great wines that are produced here, only recently become famous but of undisputed high quality now. Some important wine producers appointed prominent architects for the design of their wineries, thus laying the foundations for what is now well-known as the itinerary of the “Design Wineries”.
We here highlight those located within 80 km from Poggio la Croce, where one can sample the production of red, white and rosé wines made in Maremma, as well as local straw wines, vinsanto dessert wine and sometimes even grappa.
As the corkscrew slowly twists inside the cork, the large steel spiral case penetrates into the hillside, surrounded by suspended vats, until it reaches the heart of Fattoria Le Mortelle. This winery belongs to the Antinori family and was designed by the Florence-based architects of Studio Hydea .
Down in the barriquerie, isolated from bare stone through a glass panel, wine is aged into barriques in what is a modern re-conception of a cave, waiting to give its best. Fattoria Le Mortelle is located at Ampio, within the municipality of Castiglione della Pescaia. LABELS: Poggio alle Nane, Ampio delle Mortelle, Botrosecco,
Vivia Standing out as a watch tower defending the territory of Rocca di Frassinello, this is the only winery designed by Renzo Piano,
one of the most prominent Italian architects. The ample outdoor area, an amazing terrace overlooking the vineyards and the woods of Maremma, buzzes with tractors unloading the grapes into the collecting pits. Below them all the production phases take place, and the core of the winery hosts a terraced barriquerie where barriques for wine maturation sit as if they were spectators of a large amphitheatre.
During construction and vine implantation several remains of the necropolis of San Germano were found, now showcased in the museum section of the winery itself.
Rocca di Frassinello is located in the municipality of Gavorrano, at Giuncarico Scalo. LABELS: Baffonero, Rocca di Frassinello, le Sughere di Frassinello, Ornello, Poggio alla Guardia, Vermentino “The building is a wooden box. The storage area, service rooms and parking areas for farming vehicles are located within the hill. The only emerging element is a white wing that, upon exiting the hill, organizes and reorders the outdoor spaces needed to manoeuvre the vehicles.” This is how architect Milesi talks about his project for the design of the winery of Castello ColleMassari, in the countryside on the slope of Mount Amiata. This is the area where Montecucco wine is produced, nearby the Brunello and Morellino zones. Castello MonteMassari in located in Cinigiano, near Poggi del Sasso. LABELS: Melasse, Iriccio, Grottolo, Rigoleto, ColleMassari, Poggio Lombrone Tenuta Ammiraglia is situated in the district of La Capitana, within the municipality of Magliano. Going through the Maremma upcountry and along the provincial road via dell’Aione, a sinuous structure will certainly catch the eye of any passer-by. The building follows the sloping soil, with a well-finished garden that serves as a roof and large windows which allow the interior rooms where wine sampling and sale occur to be half-seen. Tenuta Ammiraglia was designed by the Sartogo Architetti Associati studio for the Frescobaldi family. LABELS: Aurea Gran Rosé, Alìe, Terre More, Massovivo, Pietraregia