Winemaker Notes
Montesecondo comprises two separate properties: both are biodynamically farmed and both lie in San Casciano in Val di Pesa at the northern edge of the Chianti Classico zone. The original family vineyard, generally referred to as "Montesecondo" or "Cerbaiai", is lower-altitude, warmer, gently cloped and with heavier clay soils near the town of Cerbaia; it is mainly Sangiovese with some co-planted Canaiolo and Colorino. The second part, referred to as "Vignano" for the name of its tiny hamlet, features parcels that are cooler, hillier, rich in limestone, up at 450 meters and north-facing. The Chianti is a blend of both parts of the estate, with proportions varying by vintage.
The bunches are hand-harvested and mainly destemmed but with the berries left whole. They are fermented spontaneously with indigenous yeasts and without sulfur in concrete tanks. Maceration lasts around 12 days and there are no extractive techniques, only a submerged cap or cappello sommerso. The wine is aged partly in 15-hectoliter foudres and partly in concrete for up to one and half years. It is bottled with a small amount of sulfur and without fining or filtering and is released in the late spring two years after the vintage.
Blend: 90% Sangiovese, 10% Canaiolo & Colorino
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2020 Chianti Classico is fabulous. Bright, floral and effusive, the 2020 is striking right out of the gate. Crushed flowers, mint, spice and blood orange all race out of the glass. A wine of vibrancy and nuance, impresses with its exceptional beauty and overall harmony. It's an absolutely stellar wine from Montesecondo.
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.
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.