Montevertine ‘Le Pergole Torte’ 2022

Why is this Wine so Yummy?

“It is our first-born wine, produced from 1971 to 1981 as Chianti Classico Montevertine and from 1982, when we left the Chianti Classico Consortium, simply as Montevertine. A blend of carefully selected Sangiovese, Canaiolo and Colorino grapes, it is aged for two years in Slavonian and Allier oak barrels.”

Grape Varieties: 100% Sangiovese
Wine/ha Yield: 40 hl
Alcoholic Fermentation: in concrete vats for about 25 days
Malolactic Fermentation: in concrete vats
Ageing: 12 months in barriques, 12 months in Slavonian oak barrels and about 3 months in bottle

About Montevertine

The Montevertine estate has been populated since the 11th century. Remains of the original structure, first built for defensive purposes and them converted into a farmhouse, are still visible. In 1967, the estate was purchased by Sergio Manetti, an iron and steel industrialist, to make it into his holiday home. He renovated the main house, turned it into a habitable space and planted two hectares of land with vineyards. He then set up a small winemaking cellar with the idea of producing some wine as a gift for friends and customers. The first vintage produced, the 1971, was quite good and Sergio Manetti sent a few bottles to the Vinitaly show in Verona through Siena’s Chamber of Commerce.

The wine met with immediate success and Sergio was so excited about it that, a few years later, he retired from his former business to devote all his energies to winemaking, with Giulio Gambelli’s assistance and the support of Bruno Bini, his faithful cellarman. New vineyards were planted, new wine cellars were built, and the winery grew into a very successful business. Sergio Manetti died in November 2000 and, since then, the winery has been run by his son Martino Manetti, who keeps pursuing the traditional values which are Montevertine’s driving force.

The podcast below is not directly of Montevertine, it is a reflective piece on Giulio Gambelli who worked with Montevertine and several other greats in Tuscany.

In the Vineyard

Montevertine grow exclusively grape varieties native to the Chianti area: Sangiovese, Canaiolo and Colorino. At Montevertine, simplicity, respect, extreme care about details and know-how are the guiding principles that inspire our daily work. Sangiovese accounts for about 90% of planted vines. 10% is Colorino and Canaiolo. Plant density is 5,000 vines per hectare in the vineyards planted since 1997 and 3,200 vines per hectare in the vineyards prior to 1997.

The oldest vines are trained by using the Guyot system and the youngest ones with the spurred cordon system. We have been using a 100% organic farming system since vintage 2009. The space between vine rows is covered with grass and on-farm produced compost serves as fertilizer.
Grapevine pest control is based on the use of powdered copper and sulfur. We have never planted grape varieties other than the traditional Sangiovese, Canaiolo and Colorino. Our approach to winegrowing is to produce wine which fully reflects our land’s identity.

Le Pergole Torte
planted in 1968, area 2 ha, N-NE exposure

Montevertine
planted in 1982 and partially replanted in 2008, area 2,5 ha, SE-S exposure;

Il Sodaccio
planted in 1972 and then totally replanted in 2000, area 1,5 ha, SE exposure;

Il Casino
planted in 1999, area 2 ha, S exposure;

Selvole
planted in 1997, area 3,5 ha, SE-S exposure;

Pian del Ciampolo
planted in 2003, area 1,5 ha, W-NW exposure;

La Casa
one part planted in 2000 and another in 2008, area 1 ha, S exposure;

Borro ai Colli
planted in 2000, area 2 ha, S-O exposure;

Villanova
replanted in 2010, area 1,3 ha, S exposure.

In the Winery

Their winemaking method is extremely traditional and always the same, since their very first harvests. The hand-picked grapes are fermented in vitrified concrete vats, without temperature control and by performing two pumping-over operations per day to keep the cap of skins moist for a gentler extraction of tannins from the skins.

After racking, the malolactic fermentation is begun in vitrified concrete vats. As soon as the fermentation is completed, the wines are left to rest in wood barrels for about two years. Wine ageing is performed in 5,5 to 18-hectoliter Slavonian and Allier oak barrels and in 225-liter Allier barriques. Wines are never filtered and they are all bottled by gravity.

Where in the World is Montevertine?

Montevertine is nestled in the heart of the Chianti hills, in the town of Radda in Chianti within the Chianti Classico sub-region of Tuscany.