Complete guide to the “Pievi” and the zoning of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is one of Italy’s oldest denominations. Yet, until 2024, a bottle could reflect many different characteristics—grape variety, vintage, producer—but not the exact place where the grapes came from. Two wines produced on completely different soils, at different altitudes, and under different microclimates could still carry the same label without distinction.

Since 2025, this is no longer the case. The production regulations of the denomination now include an additional mention called “Pieve”, which allows the specific production sub-zone to be indicated.

The sub-zones of Montepulciano are 12 and are called Pievi, like the ancient parish churches of small villages that, since the late Roman period, divided the Poliziano territory. In the production regulations they take the technical name UGA, Unità Geografiche Aggiuntive (Additional Geographical Units): the regulatory category through which Italy recognizes sub-zones within DOP denominations. To define them, the Consorzio del Vino Nobile studied and cross-referenced information on geology, soil science, historical cartography, and production analyses related to the territory: a process that began in the 1990s and culminated in the unanimous approval of the new regulations.

This complete guide explains what UGAs are, how they were created, and what their production rules entail. You will also discover what the “Pieve” mention on the label means and what to expect when buying, collecting, or tasting Vino Nobile di Montepulciano with this new designation.

What are UGAs: the system of Additional Geographical Units in Italian wine

UGAs are delimited areas within the broader territory of a designation of origin. In Italy, they can only be recognized for PDO wines (therefore DOC and DOCG) and correspond to municipalities, hamlets, administrative zones, or well-defined geographic micro-areas, each with specific pedoclimatic and production characteristics.

The concept is not new in the wine world: Barolo and Barbaresco, for example, have long had their “Additional Geographical Mentions” (MGAs) that identify individual crus. In Burgundy, the climats have functioned in a similar way for centuries. The principle is the same: the more precise the geographic indication, the more the wine is able to express its territory.

In the case of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, the UGAs are embodied in the Pievi: 12 subzones that represent as many different ways of interpreting Prugnolo Gentile – the local Sangiovese that is the main grape of Nobile – depending on soils, altitudes, exposures, and different microclimates.

The zoning of Vino Nobile: the *Pievi* of Montepulciano

The process that led to the definition of the 12 Pievi was long and complex. Its roots go back to the 1990s, when the Vino Nobile Consortium was among the first in Italy to launch a systematic zoning project, later entrusting Enogea with the creation of the map of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano divided into production areas. However, the work that specifically led to the “Pieve” designation began in 2020, with a methodological approach that required the collective participation of all producers within the appellation.

The goal was ambitious: to achieve a unified and shared vision of the territory of Montepulciano, based on scientific and historical foundations. To reach it, research was conducted on multiple fronts: geological and soil analyses, studies of the territory’s morphology, and historical research in archives and libraries in search of the boundaries of the ancient subzones.

 

The role of the Leopoldine Cadastre in the zoning of Nobile

The Leopoldine Cadastre is the cadastral system introduced in the Grand Duchy of Tuscany in the early decades of the 19th century, under the rule of Leopold II of Lorraine. It is an extraordinarily precise document: detailed maps recording every property, every boundary, and every land use. For the Montepulciano area, the Leopoldine Cadastre preserves the subdivision into distinct subzones, each identified by a toponym—many of which correspond to the ancient pievi that organized the territory in the medieval period.

Cross-referencing these historical maps with modern geological and soil data made it possible to verify that past administrative boundaries reflected real differences in soil composition and terroir characteristics. Rural communities of the past knew their land through direct experience and had drawn its boundaries based on what they observed in the soil, crops, and landscape. The Leopoldine Cadastre provided an early historical trace of a territorial reality that has since been documented with scientific tools.

 

The Pieve project: from the producers’ assembly to the Official Gazette

The Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Consortium led the entire process of defining the subzones through a participatory, transparent, and shared method. Every winery within the appellation actively took part in the work of analysis, contributing production data, vineyard profiles, and observations accumulated over years of work in the vineyard.

The result—a regulation unanimously approved by the producers’ assembly—was not a foregone conclusion. Reaching agreement on geographic boundaries that directly influence the commercial value of wines and the recognition of individual producers requires a high level of mutual trust. The unanimous approval then led to clearance from the Tuscany Region and the Ministry of Agriculture, with publication in the Official Gazette on 5 February 2025 and full effectiveness starting from the 2021 harvest.

The 12 *Pievi* of Montepulciano: location and terroir

The 12 Pievi cover the entire DOCG territory and take their name from the ancient parish churches of the villages which, since the late Roman and Lombard periods, formed the cornerstone of the territorial organization.

Each Pieve is distinguished by a specific combination of factors: soil composition, vineyard altitude, exposure, and microclimate. These differences translate into recognizable sensory profiles: a Vino Nobile produced on predominantly clay soils will have a more pronounced tannic structure compared to one grown on sandy soils, which tends to be more elegant and aromatic.

The 12 Pievi are distributed across four geographic areas, each with soil and microclimatic characteristics that are directly reflected in the wine:

• Northern zone: Ascianello, Badia, Caggiole, Gracciano, Le Grazie, Cerliana (northeast)

Altitudes between 300 and 500 meters, predominantly clay-limestone soils with a good sandy component. The wines tend toward greater freshness and aromatic finesse.

• Southern zone: Sant’Albino, Cervognano (southeast), Sant’Ilario (southeast), Valardegna (southeast)

Lower elevations, between 250 and 400 meters, with silty-clay soils and Pliocene fluvial-lacustrine deposits. Structured wines, with important tannins and pronounced minerality.

• Western zone: San Biagio

Calcareous soils with the presence of galestro, well-drained. Elegant wines, with good acidity and a more delicate aromatic profile.

• Eastern zone: Valiano

A transitional area toward the Valdichiana, with predominantly clay soils and generally lower elevations. Wines of good concentration, with a firm tannic structure.

The characteristics of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano with the “Pieve” designation

Once the 12 subzones were defined, the Consortium’s work focused on a concrete question: what rules must a producer follow in order to write “Pieve” on the label? This led to a stricter set of regulations compared to the traditional Vino Nobile DOCG, covering all aspects of production: grape varieties, vineyard management, yields, ageing, and quality controls. This is not a simple regulatory update, but a shift in perspective: the “Pieve” mention introduces a higher level of territorial precision, with the aim of ensuring consistency between grape origin, wine style, and the identity of the subzone.

This greater precision is also directly reflected on the label. A Vino Nobile with the “Pieve” mention therefore includes three key pieces of information: the denomination Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG and the word Pieve followed by the toponym of the UGA of origin. These are accompanied by standard indications such as vintage, producer, alcohol content, and the DOCG strip seal. For the consumer, the presence of the mention is a guarantee of territorial traceability and of an additional qualitative level compared to that already provided by the DOCG.

 

The “Pieve” specification: rules and requirements

In Nobile di Montepulciano with the “Pieve” mention, Sangiovese (Prugnolo Gentile) must account for at least 85% of the blend of the Vino Nobile with the “Pieve” mention. The only permitted complementary grape varieties are native ones: Canaiolo (maximum 15%), Ciliegiolo (maximum 15%), Mammolo (maximum 15%), and Colorino (maximum 5%). International grape varieties and white grapes are not allowed – a choice that brings Vino Nobile back to its varietal roots and clearly distinguishes Pieve from the more flexible blends allowed under the base specification.

Vineyards must be at least 15 years old and directly managed by the winery that will bottle the wine. The maximum yield is set at 70 quintals per hectare of specialized cultivation, with a further limit of 2.5 kg per vine. Overproduction is not allowed: anything harvested beyond the limit cannot be used for Pieve.

The total ageing period before release to the market is 36 months. Of these, at least 12 must be spent in wood – with freedom regarding the type and size of the containers – and at least 12 in bottle. The remaining time can be distributed freely. The first eligible vintage was 2021, and given the maturation times, the first bottles were released in 2025.

Before bottling, the specification requires that the wines undergo a double tasting commission. The first is an internal Consortium commission, made up on a voluntary basis of winemakers and wine technicians who, after carrying out chemical analyses, assess compliance with the parameters of the designation and provide producers with useful feedback. At the end of ageing, the official Valoritalia commission steps in, taking a sample of the wine from the bottle and certifying its suitability for the “Pieve” mention.

 

What changes between a traditional Nobile DOCG and a Nobile with the “Pieve” mention

At this point, it is natural to ask: if both fall under the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG, what is the difference between a “standard” bottle and one with the “Pieve” mention? The differences are significant and concern both the production rules and the wine’s profile in the bottle.

The traditional Vino Nobile requires a shorter minimum ageing period and also allows non-native grape varieties in the blend. The “Pieve” mention, on the other hand, introduces stricter requirements on both fronts: only native grape varieties, vineyards at least 15 years old, lower production yields, 36 months of total ageing, and a double tasting evaluation by the commission. The result is not so much a superior version of Nobile, but rather a wine comparable to a “cru”, capable of precisely defining a place. If the traditional Nobile expresses a denomination, the “Pieve” focuses on a well-defined territory.

For consumers and collectors, this distinction opens up a new dimension: the possibility of exploring the differences between the 12 subzones, comparing the profiles of wines produced on different soils within the same denomination. It is an invitation to experience every nuance of Montepulciano, to taste, compare, and discover the flavor that makes each Pieve unique.

Pieve Sant’Ilario: the Nobile with “Pieve” mention among the labels of Fattoria del Cerro

Among the first bottles to feature the “Pieve” mention on the label is Pieve Sant’Ilario by Fattoria del Cerro, the largest private producer of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. The estate falls within the Sant’Ilario UGA, located in the south-eastern part of the denomination: an area where an ancient parish church dedicated to Sant’Ilario once stood.

The 2021 Pieve Sant’Ilario vintage – the first produced under the new specification, and therefore particularly interesting also as a collector’s bottle – shows an intense ruby colour, notes of ripe red fruit and spices, and a long, balanced, and structured palate.

 

Pieve Sant’Ilario is included in Fattoria del Cerro’s Vino Nobile range as a new label, joining Silìneo and Antica Chiusina – the estate’s classic DOCG wines – as well as the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva Le Poggiole. Pieve Sant’Ilario adds a new dimension to this portfolio, one based on territorial specificity, capable of going beyond the appellation itself.