Korean family acquires Cerbaia, a Brunello di Montalcino winery

A family of Korean origin based in London has acquired Tenuta Cerbaia, a small but long-established winery producing Brunello di Montalcino in southern Tuscany. The buyer is the Lee family, which has business interests in several sectors worldwide and a long-standing personal connection with Tuscany. The acquisition was reported by WineNews.

The estate is located in the countryside around Montalcino, about 40 km south of Siena. It covers 12 hectares in total, including around five hectares of vineyards situated at elevations between 350 and 400 metres above sea level.

For the next phase of the winery’s development, the new owners have appointed Italian wine professional Agostino Lippito lead management and strategic planning. According to specialised wine outlet WineNews, the Lee family intends to pursue a gradual approach, keeping continuity with the area’s production traditions and focusing on expressing the specific characteristics of Cerbaia’s vineyards rather than on rapid expansion.

A small, traditional Brunello producer

Cerbaia was founded in 1978 by Fabio Pellegrini, who developed the winery on land owned by his family. Over the decades, the estate has remained firmly oriented towards traditional viticulture, with an emphasis on low yields and careful vineyard management.

The vineyards are surrounded by Mediterranean scrub and planted on galestro soils dating back to the Miocene period. These poor, stony soils, combined with northern exposure and a warm, dry microclimate, are considered well suited to producing structured and aromatic wines.

Annual production at Cerbaia is relatively limited, at around 18,000 bottles, placing it among the smaller producers within the Brunello di Montalcino denomination. Under the new ownership, the estate is expected to maintain this small-scale profile while refining quality and vineyard expression.

(Cover photo: view from Montalcino)

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