Castello del Terriccio overlooks the Tyrrhenian coastline of Tuscany in the municipality of Castellina Marittima just north of Bolgheri; the vineyards fall within the perimeter of the appellation Montescudaio DOC.
The sea is only 5 km away and determines an extremely mild microclimate with sunshine. In 1975 Gian Annibale Rossi di Medelana, after the sharecropping, became the owner of the Terriccio farm, which had existed since the end of the last century. He decided to give continuity to agricultural and wildlife activities by transforming and improving the farm and making it modern.
The estate extends for 1500 hectares of which 65 are vineyards, surrounded by woods and Mediterranean scrub. Viticulture is only one of the activities carried on by Castello del Terriccio in a context of a protected, almost uncontaminated environment, conducted according to environmental sustainability criteria. On the highest hill are the ruins of the medieval castle that gives the winery its name.
Over the years, the most suitable grape varieties have been identified for the place, in particular Cabernet sauvignon, Cabernet franc, Merlot, Syrah and Petit verdot; white grapes such as Chardonnay and Sauvignon blanc were planted as well. Since the 1990s, the oenologist Carlo Ferrini has collaborated with the company; Ferrini has imposed extremely low yields so that grapes could ripen perfectly from every point of view. Castello del Terriccio's first wine was Tassinaia 1992, but it was with Lupicaia, created in 1993 with Cabernet sauvignon, that the winery jumped on the scene.
The winery logo, printed on the labels, is an Etruscan sun depicted on an artifact that was found during the excavation of the ground to make the vineyards. After the death of Gian Annibale Rossi di Medelana in 2019, Castello del Terriccio was inherited by his nephew Vittorio Piozzo of Rosignano Rossi di Medelana, who is now leading the activities personally.