In the heart of Montepulciano, the Trabalzini family carries on centuries of history — one harvest, one bottle, one story at a time.
By Thomas Pigeon
Some stories in Tuscany are written not in ink, but in stone, in soil, and surely in wine. Cantina De’ Ricci, in the heart of Montepulciano, is one such story. It is a place where centuries of history and generations of ambition converge; where awe-inspiring caverns and vaulted cellars whisper of noble families and medieval rivalries, even as a new generation of winemakers breathes modern life into ancient traditions.
Like many stories surrounding Italian wine, my journey to discover and enjoy a glass of De’Ricci Vino Nobile began over dinner while visiting my dear friend and sommelier, Cristian, at his wine shop, Enoteca La Dolce Vita, in the heart of Montepulciano.
“De’Ricci is a very special place, with a very special wine,” he told me. “I’d encourage you to spend time with the family winemaker, Niccolò, and visit their cantina.”
Cristian has never pointed me in the wrong direction, so it was with enthusiasm and anticipation that I walked up the weathered roads of the medieval city and entered the palatial doors of this historic winery.
For more than eight centuries, the name De’ Ricci has been intertwined with the history of Montepulciano. The noble family arrived in the hilltop town in 1150, leaving their mark on politics, art, and architecture. But perhaps the most enduring testament to their presence lies below the surface: a vast cantina carved into volcanic tufa stone, known locally as the cathedral of wine. Caverns here, dating back to 400 BCE, are home to legions of oak barrels holding some of the most celebrated wines of Montepulciano. With soaring Gothic arches and barrel vaults that feel more suited to a place of worship than storage, the cellar is not merely functional — it is a monument to both faith and craft.
My role is to be a translator. The land speaks, and the vines speak...I must listen carefully and try to put that language into the wine.
— NICCOLÒ TRABALZINI
Walking down into its cool chambers is like stepping into another time. Shafts of golden light bathe the solemn rows of oak casks, and the air carries the faint perfume of slowly fermenting grapes and wood-aged elegance. There is a quiet reverence to this unique space, akin to walking into an unoccupied cathedral and relishing a rare moment of peace. This is where Vino Nobile di Montepulciano — the “noble wine of Montepulciano,” once praised by poets and popes alike — has been nurtured for centuries.
A Family Steps Forward
For all its history, Cantina De’ Ricci is not a relic. Since 2012, it has been the proud domain of the Trabalzini family, modern stewards of this extraordinary cellar and its vineyards. Their entry into the world of fine winemaking was not casual — it was a calling.
Niccolò Trabalzini, just 29 years old, is today one of the youngest winemakers in the region. Thoughtful and grounded, Niccolò brings both scientific rigour and youthful daring to his craft. As a winemaker myself, I couldn’t help but be touched by the boyish charm and enthusiasm of this young man, who is walking in the footsteps of the great winemakers of Montepulciano. Trained as an enologist, he speaks of his work less like a technician and more like an artist: part science, part intuition, and part deep respect for the land. His voice is quiet and calming, almost reverent, as he describes his passion for wine.
“I am not here to rewrite the story,” he tells me as we stand in the vineyards overlooking the rolling Tuscan hills. “I am here to continue it — with respect for tradition, but also with the vision to make something personal, something true.”
Niccolò does not shoulder this legacy alone. De’ Ricci is, in every sense, a family affair. His father, Enrico Trabalzini, an agronomist who inherited his passion for winemaking from the De’ Ricci family and the previous owner, manages the estates with a steady hand and a farmer’s deep knowledge of the land. His mother, Antonella, brings warmth and hospitality to the experience, welcoming visitors into the cellar and ensuring that the spirit of Tuscan generosity is as memorable as the wines themselves. His brother, Francesco, meanwhile, contributes with boyish enthusiasm and charm to the varied and complex daily activities of the family business.
Together, the Trabalzini famiglia forms a circle of care around the winery, each member lending their strengths to a noble enterprise. It is this sense of family — rooted, united, and passionate — that defines the De’ Ricci story today.
Vineyards at the Base of Montepulciano
The De’ Ricci wines are born from three vineyards at the foot of Montepulciano, where soils rich in clay and limestone give depth and structure to the Sangiovese grape, locally known as Prugnolo Gentile. Each vineyard’s soil and subsoil vary slightly, offering different gifts to the wine that ultimately rises from these distinct terroirs. Here, rows of vines stretch toward the horizon, kissed by sun during the day and cooled by evening breezes sweeping across the valley.
The vineyards are managed with sustainability in mind, respecting the natural balance of the earth. Every harvest is carried out by hand, ensuring that only the finest clusters make their way to the cellar. The family insists on same-day pressing, preserving the freshness and vitality of the fruit.
The result is one of the region’s finest wines: Vino Nobile di Montepulciano — a contemplative wine, aged for a minimum of two years in oak and celebrated for its elegance, depth, and ability to age gracefully.
“Vino Nobile is our identity,” Niccolò explains. “It is not a wine that shouts. It speaks with dignity, with balance. It has a quiet power — you discover more with every sip.”
A Week in Wine and Stone
Over the course of a week, I had the rare chance to immerse myself in this world. Days began with drives in my vintage Alfa Romeo, winding through the hills toward the family’s main vineyard, Fontecornino, where Niccolò would meet me among the vines. Together, we spent mornings walking the rows, inspecting the grapes as harvest approached, tasting berries, and discussing soil profiles.
Afternoons were spent in the cellar, where the stone walls seemed to hum with history. With Niccolò as my guide, I tasted wine directly from the barrel — a raw, young Vino Nobile, alive with energy, waiting patiently for the slow alchemy of oak and time to round its edges and reveal its secrets.
Continuity and Innovation
Niccolò Trabalzini belongs to a new generation of Tuscan winemakers unafraid to innovate, yet careful not to break faith with tradition. De’ Ricci Vino Nobile remains firmly rooted in Prugnolo Gentile, the distinguished Sangiovese clone of Montepulciano. The subtle use of French oak is employed to enhance, not overpower, the grape’s natural elegance.
At the same time, Niccolò experiments with fermentation techniques, micro-vinification, and small-batch trials to better understand the nuances of each vineyard plot. He is as comfortable in a laboratory as he is in the fields, yet his north star is always authenticity.
“My role is to be a translator,” he says. “The land speaks, and the vines speak. I must listen carefully and try to put that language into the wine.”
The Cathedral of Wine
Back in Montepulciano, beneath the De’ Ricci palazzo, the ancient cellar continues to play its silent role. Visitors descending the stone staircases are almost overpowered by its grandeur — columns rising like tree trunks, vaults curving high overhead, caves carved by the hands of time, barrels lined like parishioners in solemn congregation.
It is easy to see why locals call it the cathedral of wine. Here, the sacred and the earthly converge — grapes, sunlight, and soil transformed into liquid memory.
Standing with a glass of Vino Nobile in hand, I thought of the centuries of hands that had worked this land, the families who had guarded this cellar, and the young winemaker now entrusted with its future.
A Noble Future
The story of Cantina De’ Ricci is not one of nostalgia alone. It is a living tale, carried forward by the Trabalzini family and embodied most vividly in Niccolò’s commitment to excellence.
As I drove away from Montepulciano, the evening sun gilding the vineyards, I reflected on how rare it is to encounter a place where past and future meet so seamlessly. In every sip of De’ Ricci’s Vino Nobile, you taste both — the echo of history and the promise of tomorrow.
For Niccolò Trabalzini, the task is both daunting and exhilarating. At just 29, he holds the keys to one of Montepulciano’s most historic cellars, supported by his father, mother, and brother every step of the way. Together, they carry the responsibility of ensuring that this legacy endures. Judging from the wines I tasted, that legacy is in very good hands indeed.
In Montepulciano, where the stones remember and the vines endure, Cantina De’ Ricci is proof that nobility is not only inherited — it is earned, one harvest, one glass, one sip at a time. – VV
A fabulous cantina to visit!