Francesco Illy (Podere Le Ripi) “purchases” the Mastrojanni winery, which therefore leaves the Polo del Gusto

And the Polo del Gusto of the Illy Group remained temporarily “without wine”. If Riccardo Illy has never made a secret of wanting to acquire, a Barolo estate, possibly by 2022, in the meantime, the group that brings together the Trieste family’s holding non-coffee activities has sold the Mastrojanni winery, one of the qualitative references of Montalcino, to Francesco Illy, already a producer with the famous Podere Le Ripi winery, in an operation of profound corporate and family restructuring. With Francesco Illy himself who, at the same time, sold his 20% of the Illy Group to his brothers Riccardo, Anna, and Andrea (with an undeclared, but probable and important, economic liquidation, ed), in fact, leaving it definitively. News that follows, by a few hours, that of the acquisition, by the Polo del Gusto, of 100% of Achillea, a company of organic juices, of the Ponti company, in an agreement that provides the participation of the Ponti group in the sub- holding up to a maximum of 2.5%.
“With a view to the general reorganization of the Illy Group, with the goal of increasing the family’s focus on development in the food industry, the Illy brothers have reached an agreement under which Anna, Riccardo, and Andrea Illy, through their corporate vehicle, have purchased the entire stake held by Francesco in the family holding, equal to 20%. In the agreement, in order to concentrate on the wine sector, Francesco bought the Mastrojanni srl winery in Montalcino, already owned by Polo del Gusto srl”, reads an official note.
An important reorganization, therefore, also for the Polo del Gusto (which includes brands such as Domori Piedmontese chocolate, Dammann Frères French tea, Pintaudi biscuits, and Agrimontana preserves and which, in 2021, achieved a turnover of over 100 million euros, marking a +36% over 2020) which, therefore, despite a 5-year distribution agreement with the famous Champagne House Barons de Rothschild, must rebuild its wine branch from scratch.
On the other hand, Francesco Illy, a former producer with Podere Le Ripi, a biodynamic winery that brings together 34 hectares of vineyards in different areas of Montalcino, of which 30 hectares are dedicated to Sangiovese, 1 hectare to Syrah and 3 hectares to Trebbiano and Malvasia, including the famous “Vigneto Bonsai”, which has 62,500 plants per hectare, with vines planted just 40 centimeters apart, also becomes the owner of a winery like Mastrojanni, which brings together 108 hectares of land, of which 40 hectares are vineyards and 17 hectares are Brunello di Montalcino, which, especially in recent years, has confirmed itself as one of the qualitative gems of the Brunello di Montalcino area. Two different companies, Le Ripi, and Mastrojanni, today under the same ownership, that of Francesco Illy (who, at the end of 2018, had acquired the Marchesato degli Aleramici, in the Pian delle Vigne area, ownership of a total of 47 hectares of land, around the Podere Galampio, of which 15 hectares of vineyards, with 9 hectares of Brunello di Montalcino, ed). Which, according to WineNews rumors, should, however, remain distinct and autonomous, and go their own way. While additional investments by Francesco Illy are currently underway, more are expected in the coming months, once again in the Brunello di Montalcino area.