First arriving in Montalcino in 1352, the Colombini family can trace their roots in Tuscany back to the Middle Ages when they were active in the Sienese government. As winemakers, they earned recognition and awards for their releases in the 19th century, though it was Giovanni Colombini, born in 1906, who was instrumental in bringing recognition to the wines of Fattoria dei Barbi.
An innovator and a pioneer of modern viticulture, opening of the first retail wine shop in Italy at the Fortress of Montalcino was his idea. Continuing his string of “firsts”, he started a mail-order business to sell Tuscan wines, and was also the first to make sales overseas in many markets. The opening of the Fattoria dei Barbi cellar to visitors in the 1950’s was one of the first steps in developing the region’s wine tourism.
After the death of Giovanni Colombini in 1976, Fattoria dei Barbi was managed first by his daughter Francesca, and afterwards by his nephew Stefano who continued to develop and expand the property into what we see today.
Now under management of Stefano Cinelli Colombini, Fattoria dei Barbi extends over 306 hectares at Montalcino and Scansano, producing 800,000 bottles annually, 200,000 of which are Brunello di Montalcino. There are three Brunelli, including the flagship Brunello di Montalcino (“blue label”), a single-vineyard Brunello Vigna del Fiore (“white label”), and a Riserva (“red label”). They also produce a Rosso di Montalcino, a Morellino di Scansano, and a range of Tuscan IGT reds and whites.