Montevertine, Sangiovese, Rosso di Toscana IGT, Italy 2020

The standard bearer of the estate, the Montevertine is aged 24 months in large Slavonian oak barrels and is composed of 90% Sangiovese and 10% Canaiolo (with perhaps a hint of Colorino). The fruit for this bottling comes primarily from a 2.5 hectare parcel of vines planted in 1982 on a south/southeast facing slope.

By 1981, due to Signor Manetti’s refusal to incorporate Trebbiano into the Montevertine blend, Montevertine left the Chianti Classico consortium, thereby forgoing the Chianti Classico denomination. Because of this history, Montevertine is frequently, but erroneously, included in the category of “super-Tuscan” wine. In fact, Montevertine’s policy of strict reliance on Sangiovese with a small complement of Colorino and Canaiolo is in direct contradiction to the approach of super-Tuscan estates, which purposely include non-local grape varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Merlot in their blends.

Despite the formal lack of the appellation, Montevertine is one of the rare examples of a true Chianti Classico.