Lot.1 by Conti Marone Cinzano – A New Chapter in Montalcino

Lot.1 by Conti Marone Cinzano – A New Chapter in Montalcino.

A new chapter for Brunello, where heritage meets innovation under the vision of the Marone Cinzano family.

Few families have contributed as profoundly to Italy’s wine history as the Cinzano family. Known for shaping the country’s global reputation through Vermouth and sparkling wines, their name carries centuries of craftsmanship and continuity. But today, the story takes a new turn — one that leads from the rolling hills of Piedmont to the southern slopes of Montalcino. Here at Col d’Orcia, a historic Brunello estate acquired by the family over fifty years ago, tenth-generation winemaker Santiago Marone Cinzano is writing the next chapter. His project, Conti Marone Cinzano, debuts with Lot.1 (2019) — a wine that both respects and redefines the identity of Brunello di Montalcino.

A Family Legacy Reclaimed Through Innovation

The Marone Cinzano name has long been synonymous with pioneering spirit. When Santiago’s grandfather invested in Montalcino in the early 1970s, the region was still largely rural, its potential only beginning to be recognized. He believed in the nobility of Sangiovese and its ability to produce wines of elegance and age worthiness. With Col d’Orcia, the family became one of the first from outside Tuscany to plant Sangiovese and produce Brunello, helping shape what would later become one of Italy’s most celebrated denominations.

Today, Santiago represents the family’s tenth generation of winemakers and the first to truly call Montalcino home. He grew up between Italy and South America, spending part of his childhood in Chile, where his father, Francesco Marone Cinzano, experimented with organic and biodynamic viticulture long before it became fashionable. “My father learned from local farmers in Chile who didn’t know Steiner or biodynamics by name,” Santiago recalls. “They simply followed the rhythms of nature — pruning with the moon, composting in balance with the seasons. It taught us that sustainable agriculture isn’t modern. It’s ancestral.”

When the family returned to Montalcino in 2005, Col d’Orcia became one of the first major estates in the area to convert entirely to organic and biodynamic farming, a philosophy Santiago now carries forward. “I grew up seeing the vineyards as a living system,” he says. “That’s where my vision for Lot.1 begins — the belief that great wine comes from listening, not imposing.”

The Itinerant Cru: Redefining Terroir

At the heart of Lot.1 lies an idea that challenges the very foundation of traditional Brunello thinking. Santiago calls it the “itinerant cru” — an approach where the best vineyard changes each year depending on how nature behaves.

“In the 1980s, you could count on your best vineyard to perform almost every vintage,” he explains. “Today, climate variability means that’s no longer the case. Drought one year, floods the next — you can’t rely on consistency of place. To achieve consistency of quality, you have to be flexible.”

Each growing season, Santiago and his team begin a meticulous evaluation across 150 hectares of organically farmed vineyards. By mid-July, when veraison begins, they narrow their focus to the healthiest 15 to 20 hectares — those least affected by climatic stress. “We look for vines that are balanced, happy, and resilient,”he says. “From there, we start sampling fruit to measure the concentration of aromatic precursors — what we call norisoprenoids — and phenolic maturity. These two factors tell us which parcels will yield the most expressive, harmonious Sangiovese.”

The goal is precision: to craft a wine that combines high aromatic intensity with ripe, polymerized tannins, allowing for shorter, gentler macerations. “We want to extract flavor, not bitterness,” Santiago explains. “When your grapes are truly ripe — phenolically and aromatically — you can be more delicate in the cellar. You can let the wine speak.”

The result is a Brunello that privileges purity, fragrance, and finesse. It may come from a different parcel each year, but it always expresses the same principle — that great wine is an act of observation, not repetition.

“There’s a trade-off,” Santiago admits. “By changing vineyard from year to year, I sacrifice a little of the single-site narrative, but I gain coherence and quality. I’m not telling the story of one plot; I’m telling the story of a vintage — the best Sangiovese our land could give that year.”

A Contemporary Take on Brunello

This philosophy materializes vividly in the debut vintage of Lot. 1. The wine feels both rooted and liberated — unmistakably Brunello in structure yet refreshingly bright and transparent. 

“I wanted to make a wine that feels contemporary without losing its soul,” Santiago says. “My generation appreciates energy and balance. We want elegance that’s approachable, but still with the depth to age.”

Indeed, the sensory profile of Lot.1 mirrors that balance. Its bouquet reveals crystalline notes of red cherry, wild strawberry, and blood orange, followed by layers of rose petal, violet, and subtle herbal spice. On the palate, it’s supple and refined — fruit-driven yet savory, with fine-grained tannins and a long, mineral-laced finish that evokes the limestone-rich soils of southern Montalcino. The wine’s concentration is matched by an effortless sense of lift, delivering both immediacy and poise.

“I don’t want to make wines that feel heavy or intimidating,” Santiago explains. “People today don’t have the patience to wait twenty years. When Lot.1 reaches the market, it must already be pleasurable. That’s the challenge — and the beauty — of modern Brunello.”

Between Col d’Orcia and Conti Marone Cinzano

Although Lot.1 bears a new name and independent identity, its DNA remains deeply connected to Col d’Orcia. The vineyards are intertwined, the philosophy shared, and the expertise inherited. “This project could not exist without Col d’Orcia,” Santiago says. “It’s our foundation — the people, the history, the land. But Conti Marone Cinzano gives us the freedom to explore, to push further.”

To preserve that freedom, Santiago established a separate brand structure and dedicated cellar for Lot.1. The wine is bottled in limited quantities and distributed exclusively through select fine-wine partners who share the family’s vision of authenticity and excellence. “It’s not about scale,” Santiago notes. “It’s about alignment. We want partners who understand that this is more than a label — it’s a philosophy in a bottle.”

In the cellar, Santiago works with the renowned oenologist Dr. Donato Lanati, whose consulting portfolio includes icons such as Giacomo Conterno and Giuseppe Mascarello. Together, they focus on restraint and precision. “Our goal is transparency,” says Santiago. “We want to show Sangiovese’s natural beauty — its perfume, its energy, its tension — without masking it with excess oak or extraction.”

Technical Excellence and Balance

The detail-oriented approach extends to every stage of vinification. Fermentation occurs in temperature-controlled stainless steel to preserve aromatic integrity, followed by aging in large Slavonian oak casks — a nod to Brunello’s classicism. Yet the emphasis is always on touch and timing. 

“We aim for about 50% tannin polymerization,” Santiago explains. “That level gives you tactile richness without harshness. It’s higher than the Montalcino average, and it’s only possible when you start with perfectly mature fruit.”

The balance achieved in Lot.1 2019 reflects that careful calibration. It’s a wine that feels crafted with intent, yet never forced — precise but full of emotion. 

“Winemaking today is about humility,” he says. “The role of the winemaker isn’t to control but to interpret — to understand the rhythm of nature and translate it into something beautiful.”

Tasting Note & Rating – Lot.1 (2019)

• Dutch Wine Apprentice – Rating: 95/100 DWA Points
• Brunello di Montalcino Lot.1 (2019) – Conti Marone Cinzano

Below our review for the 2019 Lot.1 tasted as part of the interview with Santiago.

The first vintage of Lot.1 marks a defining statement in modern Brunello. The nose is pure and lifted, revealing red cherry, wild raspberry, and blood orange, wrapped in floral tones of rose and violet, with hints of cedar, tobacco, and Mediterranean herbs. The palate opens with graceful intensity — ripe Sangiovese fruit supported by refined acidity and polished tannins. The texture is sleek, the balance effortless, and the finish lingers with saline freshness and subtle spice.

This is a Brunello built on clarity and precision rather than weight — elegant, vertical, and distinctly contemporary. It offers immediate pleasure yet carries the structure for graceful evolution over the next 15 years. A brilliant debut that captures both the heritage and future of Montalcino.

Looking Ahead – Lot.2 and Beyond

Santiago’s creative journey does not end here. In 2019, he planted four hectares of bush-trained Sangiovese — an experimental vineyard that will serve as the foundation for Lot.2, a future ‘Rosso di Montalcino’ made exclusively from these vines. Fermented in Italian Tava amphorae and aged without wood, it will showcase a purer, more elemental expression of Sangiovese. “It will be entirely spontaneous and free,” Santiago says. “No filters, no oak, just the voice of the grape.”

The project also mirrors a broader evolution across Montalcino. “There’s a new energy here,” he notes. “Producers like Le Ragnaie, Cupano, and Le Ripi are all exploring more vertical, transparent styles. We share the same vision — wines that are elegant, alive, and deeply rooted in place. It’s a very exciting time for Brunello.”

A Toast to Continuity

For Santiago, Lot.1 is more than a wine; it’s a gesture of continuity — a way to honor his family’s legacy while carrying it forward with his own voice. The decision to revive the Marone Cinzano name for this project is both symbolic and deeply personal. “It’s about connection,” he reflects. “My family’s history began in Piedmont and found a second home in Montalcino. This wine unites those stories — the tradition, the courage, and the desire to keep evolving.”

With Lot.1 2019, Santiago Marone Cinzano delivers a statement of purpose — a Brunello that bridges past and future, terroir and technique, emotion and intellect. It captures the soul of Montalcino while gently pushing its boundaries.

As Santiago puts it with calm conviction:

“Brunello must continue to evolve. Lot.1 is my way of helping it take the next step — not by breaking the rules, but by listening to what the vineyards tell us each year.”

This article is written by our own Niels Aarts and based on an interview with Santiago Marone Cinzano of Col d’Orcia and Conti Marone Cinzano. We would like to thank Santiago for this time and support in writing this article, as well as his partner Wine Lister in facilitating the interview. 

Lot. 1 will be released for sale shortly, in very limited quantities. In the Netherlands Lot.1 will be distributed by Best of Wines.