“An estate of culture, commerce & character.”
The story of Villa Saletta spans centuries. The estate has been owned by just four families throughout its history, all notable in their own unique way. The Gambacorta family consolidated the lands around the estate in the 14th century, before it came under ownership to the Riccardi, a wealthy family from Florence and bankers to the famous and powerful house of Medici. The Riccardi transformed Villa Saletta into a true working estate throughout the 16th and 17th centuries, when it was then passed onto the Castelli family.
By the time the Hands family took ownership almost 20 years ago, the estate had almost entirely fallen to ruin – but they saw the potential to reinstate the tradition of an agriculturally diverse, sympathetically managed and self-sufficient estate. Today we blend traditional Tuscan techniques and modern technology, but always grounded in the heritage of the estate.
Winemaking was the first focus of the restoration, and huge investment has been made into renovating old vines and planting new plots according to a detailed understanding of the terroir. By blending traditional techniques and attitudes with the tools of modern agronomy, viticulture at Villa Saletta is now amongst some of the most advanced in Italy.
The estate is also producing a range of phenomenal wines, some of which are archetypal examples of the Tuscan style, others which, by virtue of technique, are more reminiscent of the finest Bordeaux crus, but with an unmistakable Italian flair.
Beyond wine we are determined to support biodiversity across the estate, therefore much of the landscape is given over to mixed agricultural use.