Manfredi Martini was born in 1914 in Montalcino and bought the “Paradiso” estate in 1950 with his wife, Fortunata, to make wine. His keen sensibility and intelligence in farming allowed him to lean into the potential of the roughly 3.5 hectares of land sloping over the northern face of the hillside of Montalcino, recognizing its extraordinary potential and energy from soils rich in minerals from marine deposits.

Eventually, Manfredi’s son-in-law, Florio Guerrini, took over the estate but maintained the exact same method of execution, relying on simplicity and minimal intervention while also leaning on biodynamic methods and timing. Florio’s mission is straightforward: he seeks to make authentic wines and preserve the sense of place that his family inherited. In fact the estate - from vineyards to cellar - remains largely unchanged after generations of work yet turns out an exceptional product. Florio now works with his daughters, Silvia and Gioia, who maintain the same vision of preserving the unique patrimony at Paradiso di Manfredi and the magical 3.5 hectares that they have held for decades.

The vineyards of Sangiovese Grosso are planted on terraces on the north face of the hill of Montalcino, at an elevation of roughly 330 meters above sea level with a north-east exposition. Marine deposits in the soils are evidence that this area was once rich with sea life, a characteristic that brings depth and character to the wines. In fact, the family often turns up fossils when working the soils in the vineyards. Florio wills his wines to be an exact reproduction of the structure of the soils; “a wine that springs from the vine and extracts the exact mood of this land, or better yet, what it was millions of years ago.”

The property’s 2.5 hectares of vineyards planted to Sangiovese Grosso (2 which produce Brunello) are pruned to spurred double cordon with a density of approximately 3,300 plants per hectare. The average age of the vineyards is 28 years old. Harboring the energy of this plot of land in the wines has always been important at Il Paradiso di Manfredi, thus the viticulture is equal parts science and religious-like belief: the phases of the moon are followed rigorously to indicate the right time to prune and trim the vines.

Manual work and gravity are always favored to avoid the stress caused by mechanical intervention and pumps. The wines are intended to be expressions of the vine in its most natural state each year, nothing more and nothing less. Spontaneous fermentation in glass-lined cement bins is carried out, thanks to the energy and complexity of native yeasts. Sangiovese Grosso destined for Rosso di Montalcino spends 13/14 months in botti, whereas Brunello di Montalcino spends 36 months and Riserva 48 months. The wines are not subject to any technical interventions; they decant and clarify naturally and are therefore wholesome products and transparent reflections of the strength of the soils, the energy of the indigenous yeasts and the power of the Sangiovese Grosso grape.