The Estate of Terre Nere Campigli Vallone - was born from years of experience and mirrors the personality of our family and staff. Everything comes from the intuition and passion for rural traditions and values that owner Pasquale Vallone has had since his youth, elements that have brought about evolution in agriculture and specifically in viticulture. This passion stems from Pasquale’s earliest experiences in his family, who have always been dedicated to self-realization by working in, and with, nature.
The Family - Pasquale Vallone,  owner of Tere Nere, has a  passion for  viticulture which  comes from his  early  family experience,  as his family  has always been dedicated to self-realization by working with nature. The Vallone family moved to Montalcino in the 1990’s when Pasquale, a bank manager, reinforced his interest in and knowledge of the world of wine when he fell in love with a wild, unspoiled area to the south-east of Montalcino. The micro-climate, soil and exposure make this place perfect for the cultivation of vines. Pasquale decided to give life to his passion so he bought the land and with his wife Piera and his children Francesca and Federico, planted 10 hectares of vineyards. In 2002, with his brother Gaetano who worked with exacting care in the cellar, he produced the first Brunello Terre Nere.  Pasquale has  imparted his knowledge of viticulture to his son Federico, who now works alongside his father and has taken to heart the fascinating work in the vineyards, totally respecting the terroir and the nature of organic agriculture. Gaetano has  handed down  his techniques to Francesca who has developed a passion for wine-making and, while being true to Terre Nerre values, creates a harmony between tradition and innovation. She respects the continually changing life of the wine and within it, she maintains the winery’s identity.
The Vineyards - he Terre Nere estate stretches over 15 hectares (37 acres), at an elevation of 280 meters, 10 km south-east of Montalcino. Ten hectares (25 acres) are planted in vines near the hamlet of Castelnuovo dell’Abate, on the slopes below the hilltop Castle of Velona. These 10 hectares, including 9 of Sangiovese and 1 of Cabernet Sauvignon, are grown in pruned spur, cordon trained rows with a density of roughly 4500 vines/hectare. The vineyards are nestled in a setting of rare beauty, surrounded by pristine forests and where there is a micro climate ideal for vine cultivation. All the vineyards are in hilly areas and enjoy excellent sun exposure while being embraced by a constantly blowing breeze provided by Monte Amiata and Monte Nero. The Orcia river flows in the valley below the vines, guaranteeing a reservoir of humidity during the hot season and carrying out an important thermoregulatory action. The dark terrain is composed of galestro, a mixture of loose marl and limestone which is typical of the Tuscan Apennines and is quite friable. Galestro guarantees good drainage and forces the vines to sink their roots deep into the soil which results in healthy maturation of the grapes. This type of  terrain produces long lasting wines, with good essence and acidity. The special dark soil  gives the winery its name “Terre Nere”.
The Cellars -The grapes are picked manually during the harvest and are then transported to the winery in small baskets. After careful selection of the bunches, they are vinified in stainless steel tanks of 50, 70, and 100 hectolitres. The harvest involves the entire Vallone family, including the youngest member Rachele, with each one contributing diligently. Francesca works in the cellar, carefully monitoring   the long life of the wine. Each section of the vineyard is vinified separately so as to accent its specific  inherent characteristics. During vinification the wines are kept at closely controlled temperatures, with gentle pumping over of the marcs to extract the colour and best aromas from the skins. During the months of refinement, the wines are decanted often and sampled frequently in order to decide on  the correct blending. Next comes long months of care and a gradual evolution, a time during which the characteristic colour of Sangiovese is reinforced, the tannins are refined and the wine takes on its characteristic elegance and complexity. The wine destined to become Brunello is then transferred into large barrels of Slavonian oak in the aging cellars where will  it  stay for at least 3 years, acquiring the values of the most ancient winemaking traditions.