Tenuta Buon Tempo is an estate and winery in the extreme south of the Montalcino zone, surrounded by breathtaking countryside. The estate covers 28 hectares, of which 14 are vineyards.
History
The central part of the estate is known as Podere Oliveto, the first historic references to which date back to 1941, attributing its ownership to Signor Rossini Martelli, proprietor of the lands of the Castello di Velona. This farm was managed, like all those in the area during that period, according to the sharecropping system, and was devoted almost exclusively to the cultivation of olive trees.
In the 1960s, Podere Oliveto was left abandoned as the advent of industrialisation encouraged people’s escape towards towns and cities.
The first vineyard was planted by the preceding owner in the parcel of land no. 56, which today still constitutes the most “ancient” vines of the estate being farmed. It is in this plot that the best grapes are harvested, thanks to their constant and meticulous application of conservation, care and attention.
In 2012, Per and Janet fell in love with the estate on their first visit and could envisage its potential. Per purchased the property and gave it the name “Tenuta Buon Tempo” as a tribute to the beauty of the surrounding countryside.
In 2015 the first wine under the Tenuta Buon Tempo label, the 2010 vintage of Brunello di Montalcino, was bottled and offered for sale.
After a long process of conversion, which began when Per arrived at Montalcino, in 2021 the estate received its official certification as an organic producer from Bioagricert. The company’s objective is to achieve total ecological sustainability by the end of 2030.
Terroir
The particular composition of the soil on the estate, well-draining and predominantly poor in organic substances, forces the vines to look for water and nourishment deep down. This also guarantees that the vines survives even in the driest years.
Their vineyards are spread over 800 metres, with an altitude difference of 170 meters between the highest and lowest vineyards. This allows for considerable thermal excursion between day and night, favouring slow ripening of the grapes and good acidity in the finished wine despite the fact that the vineyards are all south-east facing.
There’s a constant breeze blowing in from the coast and the presence of Monte Amiata to the south ensures protection from bad weather and vine diseases, making it easier for the estate to farm organically.
According to Tenuta Buon Tempo’s philosophy, a wine’ quality stems from the hard work put in the vineyard, which enables them to produce the very best grapes. From the first vintage, the estate has cultivated the vineyards organically: practicing green manuring, using resistance inducers, and favouring the biodiversity of the natural antagonists that are present in the vineyard.
The only variety they cultivate is Sangiovese Grosso, entirely trained using the Cordon Spur system; of the 14 hectares overall, only 5 are destined for the production of Brunello and its Reserva version. The remaining area is devoted mainly to Rosso di Montalcino, and a tiny part to the production of an I.G.T., La Furba.