Cantina La Serena di Andrea Mantengoli

‘Montalcinese’ down to his very boots, twin son of Ennio & of Iva, Andrea Mantengoli farms his family’s 70ha estate, of which 12ha qualifies as Sangiovese vineyards for making Brunello di Montalcino; his twin Marcello an architect who designed the case/cantina. The majority of vineyard land lies on the East flank of the Montalcino comune at between 250-400m asl on cretaceous ‘pietraforte’ clay, sandstones, marls, & siltsones, rich with fossilized shells.

It was Andrea’s grandfather, Santi, who bought the La Rasa estate – home to Cantina La Serena – in 1933; a Montalcino family, they had always been land-owners not share-croppers. Mention of La Rasa dates back to land registry documents of 1572, when the farm was already tending a typical mix of ‘vignia, paschi, ulivi e terre sodive, machiose, e boschate‘ (vines, pastures, olives, & woods).

More recently, in 1980 brothers Ennio & Vasco Mantengoli divided the estate, & ‘Cantina La Serena’ was born as a producer of bottled Rosso e Brunello di Montalcino in 1988, with Riserva ‘Gemini’ appearing in 2001; Andrea having joined his father Ennio in 1997. 2010 was the year in which they achieved organic certification. In 2023 vigna Quercetonda at 600m asl was purchased, with a subsequent acquisition of land close to La Rasa (La Serena) in 2024.

Andrea is a farmer attached to his land. Organic since early 2000s, his philosophy, & that of his family, is in essence that of ‘hands-off‘ as Andrea explained in 2020:

‘It’s when you see my vineyard thriving, bushy & verdent, that one understands what it is to be in harmony with ones vines, tending to them only when necessary. By recognizing that everything stems from the roots it follows that the key is to look after the soil. Non-intervention does not mean not caring or neglect, but choosing to step in only when required to do so. Hence our belief that it is better to minimize our impact on the indigenous fauna & flora that grows spontaneously, indeed encouraging its spread by delaying the cutting of the grass until the local bee population has had time to complete their important work (of pollination). We bear a great responsibility in looking after the environment, & so by understanding the role of each farming action we are able to work carefully & sustainably. Intervening in the management of water resource & of the vine’s vegetation – the canopy – only when requested to do so (by the plant) & in perfect accord with nature. It’s a fine balance that seeks to arrive at a point where the farm is at one with itself, where flora & fauna live together in harmony.’