Pieve Santa Restituta (Gaja) | Montalcino

Angelo Gaja bought a controlling interest in the Pieve Santa Restituta in 1994 and since then all his energy and expertise have been brought to bear on this magnificent estate. The estate takes its name from the tiny church of Santa Restituta which has its origins as far back as the 4th century.

An impressive, modern winery, much of which lies below ground, is surrounded by 16 hectares of beautiful vineyards set within magnificent, wild countryside.

The restoration of the church and the construction of the state of the art cellars, which cover 4,000 square metres but are hardly visible, were completed in 2005. Located some 350 metres above sea level, with a gentle south west exposure and rocky soils, this estate always had the potential to be one of the finest in the region and in the right hands that potential has been realised.

Angelo has imposed exacting standards with drastically reduced vineyard yields and a strict selection process. Angelo’s meticulous approach is exemplified by the fact that the 2002 and 2003 vintages were declassified in full, something virtually unheard of in the region. In 2004, which was considered an excellent harvest, the winery produced both of its vineyard designated wines, namely the Brunello di Montalcino Rennina and Brunello di Montalcino Sugarille. With the 2005 vintage, the Gaja family produced its first blended Brunello di Montalcino from fruit grown in its top sites, Sugarille and Rennina, and from grapes sourced from a 10 hectare parcel located in Torrenieri in the north eastern subzone of Brunello di Montalcino.

The wines have become established in the top ranks of Montalcino and are considered by leading Italian critic Antonio Galloni to be “easily among the finest in the entire appellation”.