GAMBELLI AWARD 2026
Francesco Baldacci has been awarded the Gambelli Award 2026, the prestigious prize dedicated to the memory of the Tuscan wine master Giulio Gambelli, now in its 14th edition. The award ceremony took place on Friday, February 13, in Montepulciano (SI), as part of the Anteprima del Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.
The GAMBELLI AWARD, promoted and organized by Aset (Associazione Stampa Enogastroagroalimentare Toscana) in collaboration with the Igp network, celebrates every year the talent of young winemakers who have distinguished themselves for their competence, dedication, and ability to best interpret the territory, embodying the values that have made Giulio Gambelli a great figure in the history of Italian wine.
We are proud to be able to reward a young talent like Francesco Baldacci,” says Leonardo Tozzi, President of Aset. “With his professionalism and ability to read and interpret the Tuscan territory, Baldacci best represented the spirit of the Gambelli Award among the many champions judged by the jury. His career is tangible proof of how tradition and innovation can go hand in hand, breathing new life into our heritage. For this reason, on behalf of the entire Association, I offer Francesco our heartfelt congratulations and best wishes for continued growth, keeping alive the passion and care that distinguished Maestro Gambelli.”
Francesco Baldacci, born in Florence in 1992, graduated in Viticulture and Oenology from the University of Florence in 2016 with a thesis on the by-products of red wine production. After obtaining his agricultural technical diploma in 2012 and gaining experience working alongside oenologist Claudio Gori, he completed an internship in Montalcino and, since 2016, has been working at Basilica Cafaggio in Chianti, where he has been managing the winery and the production process since 2019, collaborating with leading names such as Giuseppe Caviola and Attilio Pagli. His passion for wine has its roots in his family’s experience at the Cantina Santa Lucia in Maremma, and his work philosophy is based on respect and appreciation for variety, with the aim of expressing the potential of the territory and innovating in response to the challenges of climate change.
“It is immensely satisfying to receive the award dedicated to Maestro Gambelli. If today we are here talking about Tuscan wines as a benchmark, not only nationally but also internationally, it is thanks to him,“ explains the winner. ”Unfortunately, I never had the privilege of meeting him, but I have the opportunity to collaborate with Attilio Pagli, his great pupil, with whom we are working to seek the maximum identity and expression of Sangiovese within the territory of Panzano in Chianti. I would also like to thank the entire Basilica Cafaggio team, without whom this achievement would not have been possible.”
Every year, the award recognizes the winemaker whose work best embodies Giulio Gambelli’s idea of wine: exalting the typical characteristics of each grape variety, the characteristics of the territory, and the vintage. The fundamental requirements for participation are that the candidate must be a professional who, in the calendar year in which the competition is announced, is under 40 years of age and holds a degree in oenology. The plaque was presented by the president of Aset, Leonardo Tozzi.
In addition to the plaque, the winner also receives a prize of €1,500, made possible thanks to the support of some of the companies with which Giulio Gambelli was historically friends and consultants: Bibbiano, Fattoria di Rodàno, Il Colle, Montevertine, and Poggio di Sotto. The Chianti Classico Wine Consortium, the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Consortium, the Brunello di Montalcino Wine Consortium, and the Vernaccia di San Gimignano Wine Consortium are also partners in the award. Special thanks go to ASSOENOLOGI for its contribution to publicizing the award.
The next edition of the award is scheduled to take place in Montalcino in November 2027 during Benvenuto Brunello.
Here is the list of winners of the Gambelli Award:
Fabrizio Torchio (2013)Gianluca Colombo (2014) Francesco Versio (2015) Sebastian Nasello (2016)
Diego Bonato and Luca Faccenda (2017)Luigi Sarno (2018)Angela Fronti (2019)van Misuri (2020)
Alessandro Campatelli (2021) Fabio Mecca (2022) Andrea Scaccini (2023) Ovidio Mugnaini (2024) Marco Zito (2025) and Francesco Baldacci (2026)
