An old ladder for harvesting grapes
Rounded arches, tower stones still kept on their original site, holes, underground passages, loopholes for defence, old wells and underground water streams flowing under the cellar (don’t worry, the two precious liquids never come into contact).
You are in the old wine cellar of Il Poggio-Abbadia Ardenga, in Torrenieri (Montalcino), property the Società di Esecutori di Pie Disposizioni of the City of Siena.
The outer walls recently plastered in light yellow, have a humble and anonymous aspect.
But inside, you can admire the traces of a long and glorious past. There are still the remains of the feudal fortification and of the old “Stage Station-Inn” on the Via Romana-Francigena.
A real museum built not only with great love and passion, but also with skill, according to the most modern exhibition criteria.
Today, this site is part of the historical beauties of the Val d’Orcia Park and the destination of an attentive and selective tourism.
In the heart of the wine cellar there is a sort of “bank vault” where tens of barrels and plenty of bottles of precious wine rest, ageing serenely; the oldest jewel dates back to 1955.
It’s an extraordinarily rare collection of the most famous wine in the world: Brunello di Montalcino.
A place that inspires respect for such perseverance and hard work.
The art of making wine is complemented by the history, the preservation and the exhibition of the rarest finds.