A blank canvas…Cupano Brunello di Montalcino Masterclass

Lionel Cousin and Ornella Tondini purchased the 86.5-acre Cupano estate in 1996. No vines had been planted on the estate since phylloxera hit Montalcino in the 19th century, and the owners felt their land on the east-facing hills held huge potential…

This bare land had never been subject to modern agricultural practices; the use of chemicals can often be harsh on the vines, and as such, biological methods were used from the very beginning. No pesticide, herbicide or fertilizers have ever been used on the estate…

Ornella and Lionel planted 3 hectares of vineyard in 1997 (1 hectare Brunello, 1 hectare Rosso di Montalcino, 0.7 Cabernet Sauvignon and 0.3 Merlot), before planting 3 more in 2013 to meet the growing demand. The co-owners control the yield, and strictly select the grapes that are pressed, using only berries that have reached full maturity.

Cupano is slowly creating currents in the ‘modern wave’ of Italian wine-making, with 2012 Cupano Brunello among the top 5 of the vintage for Walter Speller & Jancis Robinson MW. We are very excited to welcome Lionel Cousin, the estate’s Vigneron, to 67 Pall Mall to guide Members through a Masterclass tasting of these complex, spicy and terroir-driven wines…