Icario sits at the entrance to the historic hill town of Montepulciano, in the heart of Tuscany, where the vineyards climb the slopes in a natural amphitheatre at around 350 to 480 metres above sea level. The altitude gives its wines their trademark freshness, and the name comes from mythology: Icario was the first winemaker, so called by Bacchus. Founded at the end of the 1990s and bought in 2015 by the Austrian doctor Helmut Rothenberger, it is led by consulting winemaker Franco Bernabei, and the grapes are hand harvested. Icario is best known for its Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, from the crown jewel Sansasia and the single vineyard Vitaroccia Riserva to its classic Vino Nobile, and for its Super Tuscan style reds and the youthful Nysa range of fresh, fruity wines. Some of its reds use the traditional governo alla toscana method, in which semi dried grapes are added to the fermenting wine for extra richness and depth. The estate is Equalitas certified for sustainability, and it blends tradition with modern design, contemporary art and a glass floored cellar where visitors can taste above the barrels.