The Capanna farm, owned by the Cencioni family since 1957, is situated in the Montosoli area, to the north of Montalcino. It was founded by Giuseppe Cencioni and, with help of his sons Benito and Franco, it became one of the first farms established in the modern period of Brunello. They started bottling their own wines in the 1960’s and after Brunello di Montalcino was granted DOC status in 1966, Giuseppe became one of the 25 founders of the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino.
Production was initially only a few thousand bottles, then increased when new vineyards were planted. In 1975 they began exporting Brunello di Montalcino DOC—Capanna 1970—to Germany and then new markets were reached in subsequent years: United States of America, Canada, Switzerland, Belgium, Holland, Japan, Austria, Poland, Denmark and others (about 20 overall). The Capanna farm is family-run from both a farming and winemaking viewpoint, although it also avails from a collaboration with Oenologist Paolo Vagaggini.
Year Founded: Estate was purchased in 1957
Proprietors & Winemakers: Patrizio and Amedeo Cencioni
Size of property: 66 hectares; 23 hectares planted
Terroir: Clay, limetsone, and rock with marine deposits.
Annual Production: 55,000–80,000, depending on vintage
Varieties Cultivated: Sangiovese, Merlot, Pinot Grigio, Moscato