A few days ago The Chianti Classico Collection 2020 has closed: the greatest tasting of Chianti Classico, with 200 producers and over 740 labels to taste.
It has been an intense and stimulating two-day, in contact with many professionals and consumers passionate about wine: a special occasion to present our 2016 and 2017 vintages to the many people who stopped to get to know and taste Montefili.
Now, from our small hilltop outside Panzano, Serena Gusmeri, our WineMaker, tells you about the winemaking philosophy between the rows and the cellar, to let you savor the soul of our place.
Winemaking philosophy: in the vineyards
We divide the harvests into 7 parts, every single vineyard differentiated by year of planting and exposure. From this we were able to understand the differences and the characteristics of each. These 7 parcels gave 7 individual wines, as we kept them all separated throughout the processes – from the alcoholic fermentation, to malolactic fermentation and finally refinement.
Since 2015, we have undertaken spontaneous fermentations (both alcoholic and malolactic) with indigenous yeasts and bacteria, always following and maintaining an eco-sustainable vineyard management methodology, that is at the core of our agricultural ethos. This is key to understanding the diversity of wines we obtained in 2015. Montefili is always a work in exploration, and belief in progress. Our extensive research will allow us to start blending appropriate parcels from 2019, in an informed process designed to demonstrate the true potential of these individual plots.
2016 & 2017 vintage introductions: harvest overviews
2016 Vintage
The year offered a long growing season with the optimal maturation for ripe fruit that slowly concentrates sugar and acids without effects of over maturation. As a result, the wines are fresh, with clear aromas, lively fruit and acidity that snaps with its texture. This is our second vintage, and we are learning much about the vineyard’s personality and potential.
2017 Vintage
With our Chianti Classico, you get a sense of the soils imprint on our wines. It’s like our calling card. While the vintage was overall dry, a burst of rain showers reversed the course of the harvest. With a pause in maturation, and despite yields being lower, our higher elevation parcels benefitted from a more even ripening. Our work in the vineyards throughout the growing cycle allowed for a wine that showcases clarity, ripeness, and complexity.
Get a glimpse of our 2016 vintage – from the press
INTRAVINO
Vecchie Terre di Montefili Gran Selezione
“Bright ruby. Fruit notes are well-defined, including blueberry and currants, with a balsamic streak and suggestions of cool menthol. Earthy. In the mouth, tannins are firm yet gentle, with well-defined texture and broad freshness. Juicy, warming, and harmonious. 89”
Vecchie Terre di Montefili Vigna Vecchia
“The unwavering color is beautiful. The fruit prevails showing notes of plum, then a mineral freshness, with marks of leather and cassapanca—old historic wood used in Renaissance-era walnut chests. Solid, fleshy body with good weight, finishing decidedly long. 91”
CRONACHE DI GUSTO
“Vecchie Terre di Montefili Vigna Vecchia
Noble and sumptuous in size and finesse. A sip confirms its style with freshness, silky tannins, and remarkable balance on a subdued, linear profile without any blemishes. An absolute must try.”
These are the people that talked about us:
Intravino, Cronache di Gusto, Vino da Bere, Golosario.
