I Balzini

I Balzini is a family-run business that guarantees production using its own grapes, carefully tended in the vineyard, selected during the harvest and hand-picked. The result is a fine and high-quality wine that fully respects the territory.

I Balzini: a story of passion and love for wine

The Azienda Agricola I Balzini was founded in 1980 by Vincenzo D’Isanto, a Florentine accountant driven by a great passion for wine and the desire to create a product characterized by personality and elegance. For this reason, Vincenzo had the soils around his country house in the municipality of Barberino Val d’Elsa analyzed to understand which grape varieties could optimally express the sought-after characteristics.
The name I Balzini comes from what is referred to in the region as the small terraces, the “piccole balze,” on which the vineyards were planted.

The first vineyard was planted in 1980, and in 1987 the I Balzini White Label was born, the first winery wine made from Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon, which was then released on the market in 1991, four years after the harvest. After eleven years, in 1998, the second label, I Balzini Black Label, was created, which added Merlot to the Sangiovese and Cabernet, giving the wine a different aromatic component.

Vincenzo's passion then also involved his wife Antonella, and it is thanks to her that the range of products continues to expand: I Balzini Green Label, I Balzini Red Label, I Balzini Pink Label, I Balzini Gold Label.
Since 2017, the company has been run by Diana, daughter of Antonella and Vincenzo, whose goal is to combine the traditional pursuit of excellence in production with a modern green awareness aimed at sustainability and organic production.

I Balzini: wines symbolizing quality and excellence

The I Balzini winery is located in the heart of central Tuscany, on the border between the provinces of Florence and Siena, immersed in a stunning territory characterized by a microclimate with significant temperature excursions between day and night, allowing for perfect maturation of the grapes. The property extends for 10 hectares, of which 6.5 are planted with vines.

The Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot were planted in soils characterized by yellow loamy sands, interspersed with layers of clay where a significant presence of marine fossils has been found. The Sangiovese, on the other hand, was planted in a soil of Eocene origin, derived from the disintegration of a local rock called alberese, ideal for cultivating the Tuscan grape variety.

The wines of I Balzini are born from a meticulous selection of the grapes, which takes place first in the vineyard and then on the conveyor belt. The grapes are strictly hand-harvested and undergo a gentle pressing before entering the tanks for fermentation, which occurs at controlled temperatures. The wines then age in medium-toasted French oak barriques, of first, second, and third pass. The aging is therefore characterized by a balanced release of tannins, without the contact with wood overpowering the natural aromatic component of the grapes.

The company mission is to produce great wines with a strong and defined character, that represent the territory while being elegant, harmonious, and extremely pleasant to drink. Wines that can tell the story of the terroir, but also the philosophy of the family.