Le Berne is a small, artisanal winery in the Pieve of Cervognano, on the eastern side of Montepulciano. It is an appellation with many larger, more commercial-leaning wineries, which makes the work that Le Berne does so admirable. The Natalini family runs this small estate, making compelling, elegant wines from their own vineyards. Here, on the eastern part of the appellation, the influence of the Apennine mountains is felt a bit stronger than in the other areas, or “Pieve.” The appellation itself is undergoing a bit of a renaissance, with new subzones called “Pieve” whose borders are based on old church territories in the region. The family gave the estate the name “Le Berne,” which is derived from the Etruscan word for “The Hill.”
The Natalini family has worked on the land here for many generations, originally as sharecroppers. Then, starting in 1967, Giuliano Natalini and his father, Egisto, purchased the land their family had long worked. In the following decades, Giuliano and his wife, Ada, moved from the older mixed cultivation tradition and planted their first vineyard, which is now the heart of the Le Berne estate. Giuliano and Ada worked tirelessly on raising the quality of their fruit from year to year. They made a bit of wine for themselves and their neighbors over the years. Then, in 1990, the family started producing Vino Nobile, but they sold the wine to some of the other big wineries in the area.
In 1997, Giuliano and Ada’s children, Andrea and Laura, began working at the family estate. They studied agriculture and gained their own experience in other sectors before coming back to the estate, where they brought renewed energy and attention to the vineyards. It was also in that year that they bottled their first Vino Nobile with the Le Berne label, which was a key moment in the history of the estate. Andrea saw that one of the wines they sold to another winery was awarded tre bicchieri from the Gambero Rosso, and that pushed him to start bottling their wine themselves and selling it under their own label.
Today, Federico Fastelli, Laura’s son, is a key part of the estate. After studying oenology and viticulture at university, Federico gained experience abroad from New Zealand to Burgundy, before coming home to add his experience and expertise to the family’s wealth of knowledge. He collaborates with his uncle Andrea on all matters in the winery. He made his first vintage at the winery in 2022 after travelling in 2020 and 2021.
From the very beginning, sustainability and biodiversity have been key elements of the family’s practices. They have never used herbicides, pesticides, or synthetic products in their vineyards. They have always worked naturally, and Federico has begun to introduce some biodynamic practices into the family’s work. The family produces their own compost, planting the green manure and cover crops to improve the soil health and fertility, and to promote biodiversity. Sangiovese has always been the focus here. In the past, they also had small amounts of Mammolo, Canaiolo, and Colorino, but with climate change, they felt those varieties gave the wine a higher pH and lower acidity, so, from 2010 onward, Sangiovese is the only red grape they work with. Their soil is a mix of clay, sand, and calcareous clay, depending on the vineyard site. They have five different blocks of vineyards totaling 14 hectares. The prize of their vineyards is the Alto Pieve Cervognano vineyard, a .60-hectare parcel planted in 1999 at 420 meters in elevation from which they bottle their top wine.
The goal of their winemaking has always been to produce wines that are authentic and that represent both the land as well as the producer. Fermentations are always spontaneous, without the use of selected yeasts, but other than that, each vintage is treated individually. Fermentations are in steel or cement, and for ageing, they use traditional, large botti.
The focus of their production is their Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, which is a wine that beautifully balances finesse with substance, structure, and is elegant and immensely drinkable. The top wine of the estate is the Alto Pieve Cervognano, a wine which showcases the potential of the property as well as the potential of the appellation. It has a dense core of minerality and acidity with sweet tannin and incredible length. For more everyday situations, their Rosso di Montepulciano is light and silky with crunchy fruit and firm acidity. A tremendous value!
Their goal each year is elegance and drinkability. As Federico says, “The highest compliment is a bottle promptly consumed. An easy-drinking wine doesn’t imply simplicity but celebrates balance, where strength and subtlety coexist.”