La Gerla

Sergio Rossi, a former advertising executive from Milan, established La Gerla in 1976 after purchasing the Podere Colombaio estate. The property was previously owned by the Biondi Santi family, and Rossi aimed to modernize the winemaking facilities while preserving the historic character of the original farm buildings. Following the death of Sergio Rossi in 2011, the estate has remained under the management of his wife and a long-serving technical team. This team includes estate manager Alberto Passeri and consultant enologist Vittorio Fiore, who have worked to maintain the founding vision of the property.

The estate encompasses 11.5 hectares of vineyards divided between two distinct microclimates within the Montalcino appellation. The primary site at Canalicchio di Sotto, located in the north at 320 meters above sea level, features soils rich in marl and clay that produce aromatic wines. The second holding is in Castelnuovo dell'Abate in the southern part of the region, where the terrain is more stony and the warmer climate adds structure and power to the fruit. The winery is noted for using original Biondi Santi Sangiovese clones in its plantings. Winemaking follows traditional practices, featuring temperature-controlled fermentation and aging in large Slavonian oak casks ranging from 50 to 100 hectoliters.

La Gerla is best known for its Brunello di Montalcino and the single-vineyard Brunello Riserva Gli Angeli, which is sourced from the oldest vines at the Canalicchio site. The portfolio also includes Birba, a Sangiovese-based Toscana IGT that is aged in French oak barriques rather than the traditional large casks used for the Brunello. Other offerings include a Rosso di Montalcino and the Poggio Gli Angeli IGT, which is produced from younger vines in the southern sector. The producer has earned a reputation for consistency and finesse, frequently praised for its ability to blend fruit from diverse vineyard locations to achieve a balanced expression of the Sangiovese grape.