Winemaker Notes
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The Castle of Monterinaldi settlement, in the commune of Radda in Chianti, in the heart of the oldest historical area of the Chianti Classico, is situated near an ancient Etruscan route. As regards the history of this ancient place, a document written in December 1010, refers to “Count Gottifredo Gottizio, of Lombardic descent and Lord of Monterinaldi.”
The castle stood until 1268, when the Sienese, following the victory of the battle of Montaperti, destroyed its boundary walls, the main tower and the three houses of the castle. Due to the last destruction during the World War II, only a part of it is still standing surrounded by some ancient houses.
The castle of Monterinaldi is at present the center of the homonymous farm whose wine-making activity is based at the La Pesanella, not far from the castle. The Agricola Monterinaldi, property of the Ciampi family since 1961, is one of the most modern farms in the wine testing sector.
Monterinaldi’s carapace is located between Panzano and Radda in Chianti. Eighteen single Vineyards, 38 terroirs, fiftyfive hectares, as self-contained as a turtle: Sangiovese of different clones, Canaiolo, Colorino, Malvasia Nera, Petit Verdot, Syrah, Gamay, Merlot, Cabernet-Sauvignon, Cabernet-Franc, Malvasia Bianca, Trebbiano, Chardonnay. Density is 5000 vines per hectare. And an Antebellum nursery. You’ll be at ease in our shell and the voice of the turtle will be heard in your land.
Monterinaldi has always posed great attention to environmental matters, in a constant attempt to keep the impact of insecticides and herbicides as close to zero as possible. So, in order to verify the feasibility of organic farming in the estate, for the past four years, an experiment of total organic management of selected batches of our vines has been done. This has given such optimal results that the organic management has been extended to the entire property. Monterinaldi today is an estate in conversion to the organic management which will become organic certified from 2017 vintage.
One of the first wine regions anywhere to be officially recognized and delimited, Chianti Classico is today what was originally defined simply as Chianti. Already identified by the early 18th century as a superior zone, the official name of Chianti was proclaimed upon the area surrounding the townships of Castellina, Radda and Gaiole, just north of Siena, by Cosimo III, Grand Duke of Tuscany in an official decree in 1716.
However, by the 1930s the Italian government had appended this historic zone with additonal land in order to capitalize on the Chianti name. It wasn’t until 1996 that Chianti Classico became autonomous once again when the government granted a separate DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) to its borders. Ever since, Chianti Classico considers itself no longer a subzone of Chianti.
Many Classicos are today made of 100% Sangiovese but can include up to 20% of other approved varieties grown within the Classico borders. The best Classicos will have a bright acidity, supple tannins and be full-bodied with plenty of ripe fruit (plums, black cherry, blackberry). Also common among the best Classicos are expressive notes of cedar, dried herbs, fennel, balsamic or tobacco.
Disenchanted with Italian winemaking laws in the 1970s, a few rebellious Tuscan winemakers decided to get creative. Instead of following tradition, to bottle Sangiovese by itself, they started blending it with international varieties, namely Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah in differing proportions and with amazing success. However, some Tuscan Blends don’t even include Sangiovese. Somm Secret—The suffix –aia in Italian modifies a word in much the same way –y acts in English. For example, a place with many stones (sassi) becomes Sassicaia. While not all Super Tuscan producer names end in –aia, they all share a certain coy nomenclature.