i. Biography
Coming Up
Since 1991, Francesco Monaci has been the proprietor and winemaker of Agostina Pieri, and the value of that tenure is in repetition handled well: season after season, the same estate, the same judgments, the same need to read what a site will give and what it will not. In that kind of work, stewardship becomes technique. At Agostina Pieri, his approach has been steady, measured, and shaped by long familiarity with the land and its limits.
Where They Are Now
At Agostina Pieri, the job still sits where family founding, vineyard selection, and cellar decisions meet. That position demands both instinct and restraint: enough sensitivity to work with what the estate offers, and enough discipline to avoid forcing it. Under Francesco Monaci, the wines have taken on a profile that is controlled rather than mannered, with structure carrying as much weight as any aromatic detail. The estate style lands in a balance of fullness without excess, richness without flash, and persistence without harshness. That is not an accidental equilibrium; it depends on holding texture, color, and aroma in check so the wine does not outrun its frame. The result is a house voice that reads as generous, but never loose. The Brunello selection is where that method becomes most selective. Only the finest selected lots from the Brunello parcel are used there, which makes the wine the clearest expression of how the estate defines quality. In that bottling, selection is not presentation; it is the method itself. The Rosso brings a different kind of weight to the estate’s record, tied to 1995, when the bottling secured a distinction that placed it in the history of its appellation. That recognition remains attached to the wine and to the year, giving the bottling a place beyond its immediate vintage.
Signature
Francesco's signature wines include Rosso di Montalcino and Brunello di Montalcino. Together, they show the range of work at Agostina Pieri: one wine carrying the estate’s voice in a more immediate register, the other carrying its most selective and exacting one. In both, the focus is on coherence, poise, and a finish that stays with intent rather than show.
Honors
In 1995, the Rosso di Montalcino became the first Rosso di Montalcino ever to earn Gambero Rosso’s Tre Bicchieri score. That distinction placed the wine in appellation history and marked the significance of the estate’s work at that moment. It remains a milestone tied to the 1995 bottling and to Francesco Monaci’s long stewardship of Agostina Pieri.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Francesco
What is Francesco Monaci's current role?
As of 2026, Francesco Monaci is Winemaker.
What is Francesco Monaci known for?
Making Rosso di Montalcino and Brunello di Montalcino from south-facing Sangiovese vineyards in Castelnuovo dell’Abate.
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