Tenute Lunelli's Carapace among the 50 best wineries in the world
The cellar-sculpture created by Arnaldo Pomodoro, where Montefalco Sagrantino is born, has been awarded “Highest New Entry” by the World’s Best Vineyards
Tenute Lunelli’s winery Carapace of Castelbuono has been awarded “Highest New Entry” in the prestigious World’s Best Vineyards 2024 classification, ranking 25 among the best wineries in the world.
The list of the world’s finest wine cellars was unveiled on November 4th in the UK at a major event organised by William Reed, a leading publisher in the food and beverage industry and founder of the renowned World’s 50 Best Restaurants, Bars and Hotels.
The World’s Best Vineyards list is the result of a vote by 500 experts in the tourism and wine industry and guarantees a comprehensive and authoritative ranking, rewarding vineyards and wineries in every part of the world, offering enthusiasts a curated guide to the best destinations.
Tenuta Castelbuono’s Carapace, in the Umbrian hills of Bevagna and Montefalco, is not only a wine cellar but also an authentic work of art. Designed by sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro, it is a unique piece of architecture, a cellar-sculpture where art, nature and wine dialogue and intertwine.
Inspired by the surrounding landscape, Arnaldo Pomodoro has created a copper dome that seems to be born from the earth itself and is inspired by the antiquity of the place and the longevity of an archaic animal such as the tortoise. Longevity is in fact the hallmark of Montefalco Sagrantino, the territory’s wine, that stands out not only for its power but also for its ability to age. The cracks that run across the surface of the Carapace are reminiscent of the furrows that characterise the Umbrian soil, symbolising the work of time that effects on wines to make them unique.
‘Tenuta Castelbuono’s Carapace represents our family’s and Gruppo Lunelli’s commitment to creating excellent wines that are not only an expression of the territory in which they are born, but are also able to enhance and promote it, exalting beauty as a distinctive factor of Made in Italy,’ commented Alessandro Lunelli, CEO of Tenute Lunelli.
About Tenute Lunelli
After three generations of winemaking, the Lunelly family decided to further its passion for producing outstanding wines building on the success obtained by its Ferrari Trentodoc. The range was enlarged to exceptional labels crafted by three wineries in three different regions of Italy: Tenuta Margon in Trentino, Tenuta Podernovo in Tuscany and Tenuta Castelbuono in Umbria. The project began in the 1980s, with the creation of still wines in Trentino that capitalized the experience gained through years of growing Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in high hillside vineyards. From the start of the new millennium, the family began paying particular attention to regions with a consolidated reputation for the production of fine red wines. Seduced by the charm of the Tuscan coast hills, and in particular by the vine-clad hill on which the historic Casale Podernovo lies. They stareted their adventure in Tuscany by acquiring forty hectares in the village of Terricciola. In 2001 it was the ancient and mystical region of Umbria and the powerful and ageworthy Sagrantino wine that captured their attention. The Lunelli family purchased land in Bevagna and Montefalco, partly planted and later built the cellar-sculpture of Carapace. After several decades of commitment, this large-scale project encapsulating agriculture and life, high-quality, and beauty became the Tenute Lunelli brand. A seal chosen to express the typical characteristics of areas that are especially suited for making fine wines: products that interpret their particular terroirs in a profound way and whose distinguishing trait is their elegance and longevity.