Last updated on November 27th, 2023
If you are considering visiting Conti Costanti winery, you may be wondering what to expect from experience on this Montalcino wine tour.
I recently had the pleasure of visiting the Costanti winery in Montalcino on a private tour, which included an exclusive wine tasting.
Based on my visit, I can say that Conti Costanti winery in Montalcino is a great winery for everyone, including families, large parties, exclusive groups and even for celebrations and events.
In this article, I will guide you through my experience, how the wines are made, what kind of wines they offer and what to expect from your experience at Conti Costanti winery.
I will provide you with all the practice information you need for booking your visit and arriving at the winery. In addition, I will walk you through all the different formulas and possibilities at Conti Costanti winery in Montalcino.
Thank you to Conti Costanti Winery for generously offering me the tour and wine tasting. This is not a sponsored article – just an honest review of my experience.
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How To Pronounce Conti Costanti
Conti Costanti is pronounced cohn-tee coh-stahn-tee in Italian
Listen to the pronunciation of Conti Costanti here:
Where Is Conti Costanti Winery?
Conti Costanti winery is located just outside the village of Montalcino in Southern Tuscany.
How To Book With Conti Costanti
The best way to book with Costanti winery is through email at visit@costanti.it. In this way, Costanti can personalize your tour based on your needs and desires.
If, however, you prefer to book through their website, you can do it here.
Why Visit Conti Costanti Winery
When I visited Conti Costanti winery, I was overwhelmed by their availability and services.
Here are my top reasons why you should visit Conti Costanti winery:
- Child friendly – they have an Italian garden on the estate, making it easy to organize events, weddings, celebrations and tasting outdoors, weather permitting.
- Best visit for clients who want to see how Montalcino wines are made using traditional methods of harvest and production.
- Pair your wine tour and tasting with a cooking class or Tuscan lunch prepared by their staff.
- Deeply rooted in family history and the local Montalcino wine community.
- One of the historic Montalcino wineries.
- Small production (high quality wines and limited vintages).
- Offers tailed-made experiences, including weddings, celebrations and private events.
- Has an agritourism onsite.
- Private or group winery tours and tastings.
- Drop-ins welcome.
- Close to the city center, making it easy to plan what you want to do in Montalcino.
Who Is Conti Costanti Winery Best For?
Conti Costanti winery is best for visitors who are particularly interested in the Brunello wines of Montalcino. Costanti is considered to be one of the first Montalcino wineries to have ever produced, labeled and commercialized Brunello di Montalcino. Because of this, Costanti winery is dedicated to primarily producing Brunello di Montalcino wine.
Additionally, I recommend Conti Costanti winery to guests who are looking to pair their wine tasting with a more tailor-made experience. Conti Costanti offers a wide selection of other services and experiences, all of which can be planned according to individual interests and agendas.
Conti Costanti makes their guest’s wishes and desires a priority, working together individually with each party or group to develop a one-of-a-kind experience for them, including cooking classes, lunches (with any kind of dietary restriction), weddings and celebrations.
How To Get To Conti Costanti Winery
To arrive at Conti Costanti winery, you need to have a rental car.
Follow SP14 to Montalcino center and the winery will be on the left at Colle al Matrichese 120, 53024, Montalcino (SI) just before you get to the traffic circle that will leads to Montalcino center and the Stada Provinciale del Brunello.
Parking At Conti Costanti Winery
When you arrive at Conti Costanti winery, you will find parking located just to the right of the entrance to the main gate of the estate. If there is space, park there. If not, keep driving just to the right of the gate down below and park in the larger allotted space.
Wines At Conti Costanti Winery
Rosso di Montalcino DOC
The Rosso di Montalcino at Costanti is their youngest wine, along with Vermiglio, finished 12 months in barriques of Allier of 3,50 Hl. This wine is a lot less complex than their Brunello yet is very palatable and easy to drink.
Vermiglio DOC
The Vermiglio DOC is another rosso di Montalcino, finished 12 months in French tonneaux of 5.0 hl and 12 months in Slavonia oak casks of 30.0 hl. The Vermiglio is more complex than the rosso di Montalcino, closer to a “baby Brunello” or very young Brunello.
Brunello di Montalcino DOCG
The brunello di Montalcino is Costanti’s most popular wine, aged 48 months: 18 months in tonneaux, 18 months in Slavonian oak wooden barrels and 12 months in bottle, minimum.
Brunello di Montalcino Riserva
The Brunello Riserva from Costanti is much more tannic, characterized by greater acidity, due to the longer aging process.
Ardingo
This is Conti Costanti’s 100% Merlot, grown from vineyards (just 350 meters of vineyards) just off-site from the Costanti Estate just outside of Montalcino.
Grappa di Brunello di Montalcino
This after dinner digestivo is distilled in the artisan distillery of Gioacchino Cannoni in Paganico using an intermittent four-columned low-grade steam system.
Grappa di Brunello Riserva
The grappa di Brunello Riserva is aged for one year in oak casks followed by another aging period in apple, pear and wild cherry wood barrels. It is then further aged in the bottle for more than a year.
Buying Wine At Conti Costanti
You can stop in to purchase wines at Conti Costanti winery without a reservation.
They are open in the afternoons from 3:30 pm-7:00 pm (closed on Thursdays). If you wish to come by in the morning, they are happy to have you as long as you get in touch with them beforehand to let them know you are coming.
You can also purchase Conti Costanti wines at various enoteche (wine shops) and restaurants in Montalcino.
Conti Costanti Estate And Winery Tour
Guided visits take place at 15:30 (first tour) and at 17:30 (second tour) and lasts for about an hour. Drop ins are welcome but if you wish to book an exclusive tour, it’s best to pre-book via email.
Good To Know: The maximum number of guests that Conti Costanti winery can host for an estate tour and wine tasting is 16 at a time.
Conti Costanti Wine Tasting
The wines that you will try at your tasting will depend on what you would like and the tasting that you have signed up for. There are currently three options that you can pre-book online but of course, Conti Costanti is willing to tailor your tasting to what you would like to try.
| Experience | Duration | Wines Included in Tasting | Cost |
| Premium Experience | 1 hour | 2020 Rosso di Montalcino Doc2020 Vermiglio (Rosso di Montalcino Doc Special Selection)2018 Brunello di Montalcino Docg 2019 Igt Ardingo 100% MerlotGrappa di Brunello Grappa di Brunello Riserva | €50.00 per person |
| Sangiovese Experience | 2 hours | 2020 Rosso di Montalcino Doc2020 Vermiglio (Rosso di Montalcino Doc Special Selection)2018 Brunello di Montalcino DocgRiserva Brunello di Montalcino DocgGrappa di Brunello Grappa di Brunello Riserva | €120.00 per person |
| Vertical Experience | 3 hours | Selection of 6 different vintages of Brunello di Montalcino DOCG Riserva | €500.00 per person |
Note that costs and vintages may change according to the year you visit and availability.
Premium Experience
The premium experience is all-around tasting that I suggest for any kind of guest. If you are looking to learn more about Conti Costanti wines or simply just have a tasting of Montalcino wines, this is for you.
Sangiovese Experience
I suggest this experience to visitors who are looking to dip their toe into Brunello without looking to break the bank. In this experience, you will try more than one Brunello, allowing you to learn about the different Brunello vintages.
Vertical Experience
I recommend this experience to wine connoisseurs or visitors who already know a lot about wine. This experience is designed for people who are ready to dive deep into the subtle nuances of Brunello di Montalcino and the various vintages throughout time.
History Of Conti Costanti Winery
The history of Conti Costanti dates back to Tito Costanti, who took the leap into experimenting with wine in Montalcino, straying from the classic Chianti recipe of wine making and learning towards a 100% sangiovese wine.
In fact, it was in 1865, that Tito harvested his first grapes for Brunello.
It was Emilio Costanti to take over the company after Tito and in 1964, initiated the commercialization of their wine. Soon after, Costanti, along with several other Montalcino wineries founded the first wine consortium in Montalcino in 1967, helping to promote the sales of Montalcino wines, ultimately leading to their fame.
In 1980, Costanti was awarded the first DOCG label. It was from here that we see an increase in investment and production, leading to the current 50,000 annual production of Costanti wines.
Today, the company is managed by Andrea Costanti who performed his first grape harvest at the young age of 23, after taking over for Emilio.
Good To Know: Conti Costanti winery has a great collection of historic wines (opened and unopened) of the company, testimony to the winery’s important family history and legacy in Montalcino. It’s not common to see such an extensive collection!
How Conti Costanti Wine Is Made
The Vineyards
The estate of Conti Costanti is over 25 hectares but only 10 are dedicated to Sangiovese (two hectares to olives groves).
The vineyards are well ventilated and at just the right altitude with a rich and fertile soil, allowing for the development of perfectly ripe grapes at the correct speed. This, in turn, creates a more balanced wine.
The grapes are grown using sustainable practices, following the organic guidelines of production. Although this is the case, the company does not hold the official organic label as of 2023.
Good To Know: Costanti is dedicated to quality so they only have each grape plant produce about 1 kg of grapes, instead of the 1.5 kg guideline that most wineries follow. This allows for more control over their grapes and a more concentrated fruit.
The Grape Harvest (The Vendemmia)
The grapes are harvested by hand in a short amount of time (about two days’ time) at a different time each year. Andrea decides the harvest date based on that particular year’s climate and how the grapes have progressed.
The Fermentation
The fermentation process is carried out in steel containers, closely monitored by Andrea and his staff.
The Aging
How and for how long the wine is aged at Conti Costanti depends on the type of wine being produced.
The Brunello is left to age 18 months in tonneaux, 18 months in Slavonian oak wooden barrels.
Bottling
Before being bottled, the wine is stabilized for six months in steel and then bottled and left to age again for an allotted time to be determined by the type of wine (riserva, Brunello, etc.)
Other Information To Know About Costanti Winery
Events
Conti Costanti is a great place to get married in Tuscany, host a party or exclusive event and plan a celebration. You can work directly with their staff to plan exclusive events in their private villa with the possibility of tastings, dinners, etc.
Good To Know: The estate has a beautiful outdoor space as well, ideal for warm weather events.
Agritourism
On the Conti Costanti property there are two apartments available for rent, one for two people and the second for a family of four.
Good To Know: Conti Costanti has a beautiful garden with a shaded area and tables, making it ideal for families with children.
Renaissance Villa
The main villa of the Costanti Estate can also be rented out and can host around 10 adults (more with small children).
Final Thoughts On Conti Costanti Winery
I left my visit at Conti Costanti thinking that the possibilities for wine lovers are endless. Costanti is the place you want to be for a traditional afternoon of wine touring and tasting with the possibility to organize much more, including special events, cooking classes and lunches catering to any dietary restriction or diet such as gluten-free, vegan or vegetarian.
Whether you are an expert in wine, on a family vacation, or this is your first time in Southern Tuscany, Conti Costanti is the winery for you!
