Variety: Sangiovese, Merlot and Syrah

Tenuta di Valgiano is located in the hills above Lucca in northwestern Tuscany and was founded in 1992 by Moreno Petrini. The estate surrounds an 11th-century villa and chapel and farms roughly 40 acres of vineyards alongside olive groves, woodland, and mixed agriculture. From the beginning, Valgiano positioned itself outside industrial farming, focusing instead on long-term vineyard health in a coastal Tuscan climate shaped by airflow and moderate temperatures.

Viticulture follows a practical biodynamic approach centered on hand work, composting, cover crops, and biodiversity rather than certification. Sangiovese forms the backbone of the estate, supported by Merlot and Syrah, varieties with historical precedent in the Lucca area dating back to the nineteenth century. Vineyard decisions are made parcel by parcel, with low yields and harvest timing based on observation rather than formula.

Colline Lucchesi Rosso is sourced from the estate’s older vineyards, including vines planted in the 1950s. Fermentation takes place with native yeasts, followed by aging in a combination of oak and cement. Annual production is limited to approximately 8,000 bottles. Over the past two decades, Valgiano has been repeatedly cited by Italian wine writers as one of the estates that helped define modern Colline Lucchesi, and the wine has received Tre Bicchieri recognition from Gambero Rosso multiple times.