The area where the company has its own plots of land is a blend of Villafranchian sand and clay with a very high diversification. The soil is made up of several layers whose origin is the continental deposits of the late Cenozoic era. Because of these sediments the soil changes its own physical and chemical parameters within a very short distance, and in less than 100 mt it can vary between clay-limestone, pretty rich in skeleton and sand, quite acidic.
That’s why there is the necessity to create the division into specific zones within the property, just to reward the quality of the vines. The company keeps on renovating the vineyards in respect of tradition and innovation at the same time, choosing the best mixes between varieties, rootstocks and clones. We normally choose red grapes, in particular Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon for alkaline and clay soils because there we can obtain a slower ripening through the existence of a bigger water supply in the soil itself, and a highest calcium content makes the skin of the grape thicker and richer of anthocyanins.
On the other hand we normally grow white grapes such as Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon, Semillon, Roussanne, Vermentino, Viognier, Chardonnay and Trebbiano Toscano where the soil is less rich, in order to reach a higher minerality. In particular, the land that is included in the so called Cercatoja area, “historical cru of Montecarlo”,is generally complex, clay and medium, and it is located on a hill facing the south west side of Montecarlo, with a maximum height of 80 mt above sea level. In the Corte Collodi area the land is flat, with a good balance of skeleton, rocks and sand, and it is particularly rich of magnesium. The vineyards have a different orientation according to the variety and they lay on a height of 35 mt above sea level. The plots in the Michi area are full of cobblestones, rich in skeleton and very mineral, but the micro-climate created by the presence of the woods is very fresh.

In 2015, with the acquisition of Michi’s Farm (1956) our vineyards cover a surface of 45 hectares, and the total property is around 100 hectares, divided into vineyards, olive trees and wood.
Buonamico’s historical vineyards (1964) are mainly located in the Cercatoja and Corte Collodi areas, and they cover a surface of 30 hectares.
In the Cercatoja area we still have historical vines such as Syrah, which has been introduced in 1964, and other vineyards, recently planted in order to reach a higher number of varieties (i.e Chardonnay) or protect old traditional vines (Buonamico, Canaiolo Rosa and Malvasia Bianca).
In Corte Collodi area the vineyards were meant to be gradually renovated, increasing the density until we reach 6200 plants per hectare. Here we planted more Vermentino vines and we introduced Viognier variety.
The structure of these new vineyards is organized to increase the mechanizing procedures and keep a very high quality at the same time. In fact all the techniques are used to guarantee a high efficience of the company’s labour in every single phases of the production, from the pruning to the harvest.
The growing techniques are chosen according to the varieties and the oenological objectives; we normally prefer Spurred Cordon for red varieties such as Sangiovese, Cabernet, Merlot and Guyot for white varieties.
In the Michi area we have 15 hectares, 10 of which are productive; the other 5 hectares will follow a program of replanting vines in new vineyards with a high density, according to Corte Collodi’s model.
There are both white grapes such as Vermentino, Viognier and aromatic Malvasia. In terms of red grapes we have Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.