Elia Palazzesi "Lo Spepo" Toscana Sangiovese IGT 2024

Profile & Story

Elia Palazzesi runs the small Collelceto estate, a 7-hectare property in the wild, forested southwestern part of Montalcino, Tuscany. His family has been in the appellation for generations and previously operated as a livestock and cereal farm — Elia is the first to bottle wine commercially under the family name. Certified organic by ICEA since 2011, the only grape grown is Sangiovese, from which he produces Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Brunello Riserva, Rosso di Montalcino, and Toscana IGT "Lo Spepo," with oenologist Lorenzo Landi consulting. For Lo Spepo: grapes from medium-textured pebbly soil at ~150 m above sea level are hand-harvested at the end of September/early October, soft-pressed, fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel at 25–28 °C with about 12 days of skin maceration, then aged 4 months in stainless steel and 4 months in bottle before release. 13% ABV.

Pairing Recommendation

Excellent match for simple first courses including fish dishes; also suits aromatic red-meat dishes and aged cheeses.