Underneath the Heart of Montepulciano: The Quiet Guardians of De’ Ricci
Inside the ancient wine cathedral where centuries sleep and Sangiovese awakens.
Jan de Weerd, Spoken Wines
This will hide itself!
Underneath the Heart of Montepulciano: The Quiet Guardians of De’ Ricci
Inside the ancient wine cathedral where centuries sleep and Sangiovese awakens.
Beneath the sunlit streets of Montepulciano in Tuscany, hidden under the weight of centuries, lies a place carved in stone and memory—a vast, cathedral-like cellar where time breathes slowly and the past feels close enough to touch. This is De’ Ricci Cantine Storiche, a winery not simply built on history, but within it. Here, where a 13th-century recluse once read the weather in the movements of a hedgehog, stories still echo through vaulted stone and into the wines. We came not just to taste, but to listen to the silence of the cellar, the heartbeat of the people, and the elegance of a wine that felt like memory poured into a glass.
Nicolò Trabalzini - the caretaker
Since 1337, the vaulted, echoing caves of what is now De’ Ricci Cantine Storiche have cradled barrels and dreams alike. Today, a new custodian walks softly among these ancient walls: Nicolò Trabalzini, the son of Enrico, and now the winemaker and caretaker of this living history. "If these stones could speak," he says with quiet reverence, "I hope they would feel that we are doing a good job — that we are doing them justice.”
Nicolò sees himself more as Alfred the butler to Batman and Robin, a servant behind the scenes, supporting something much bigger than himself. Nicolò doesn’t speak of employees. “They are part of my extended family,” he says, echoing the humility and sincerity that fill the cool, dim air of De’ Ricci cathedral. His mission is clear: let the vineyards, the vintage, the land itself speak — not the hand of the winemaker. The wines are about respect, authenticity, and truth.
Nicolò telling the story of De' Ricci and sharing his ethos
Preserving a legacy
De’ Ricci's story is layered, like the centuries of stones above its cathedral cellar. Once a medieval fortress, later transformed during the Renaissance into the noble residence of the Ricci family, the site has always been intimately linked to wine. The deep, barrel-vaulted caves that stretch under Montepulciano are nothing short of breathtaking: soaring ceilings, silent witnesses to generations of harvests, storms, wars, celebrations, and quiet patience.
Sitting beneath these arches, Nicolò knows he is only a moment in the story. "We are caretakers," he says simply, "and we must adapt if we want to keep honoring this place." Because the world is changing. The seasons shift, the climate breathes new challenges. And so, Nicolò believes in tradition — but never in standing still. “To make great wines today," he says, "we must be open to change." But the path forward for De’ Ricci isn’t about revolution, it's about careful, thoughtful evolution. Honoring the wisdom of the past while being brave enough to meet tomorrow without leaving a heavy footprint.
Nicolò and his father Enrico Trabalzini, whose father had bought the historic celler from the last Ricci marquess
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano - a distinct expression of Sangiovese
At the heart of De’ Ricci’s work is a pure, almost reverent commitment to Sangiovese, which is beautifully expressed in their Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, a 100% Sangiovese blend from three different vineyards around the city of Montepulciano. My favorite, the SorAldo is a single vineyard expression of the Ascianello vineyard, their highest elevation vineyard located north of the city with sandy clay soils and the presence of fossil shells. The wine carries both weight and grace capturing the very essence of the land: structure, vibrancy, and elegance.
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is a unique, very distinct expression of Sangiovese. Bright dark cherry and plum flavors laced with minerality and an almost earthy iron, rusty undernote. Perhaps it takes an acquired taste, but once adapted, you are hooked for life and you will keep looking for it. You can find them at De' Ricci, carefully preserved in an ancient wine cathedral hidden deep under the heart of Montepulciano. www.cantinadericci.it/en/
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