Italy's Soulful Montefili Wine Estate Success Blooms With Wildflowers

By Dave Nershi, CSW

Tuscany's Montefili has been a land cultivated since Etruscan and Roman times. Reinvigorated with new ownership starting in 2015 and blessed with 30- to 60-year-old vines, Vecchie Terre di Montefili has re-emerged as one of Italy's most soulful wine estates.

Montefili is a high-altitude Chianti Classico estate, with vineyards among the loftiest in this famed region. The focus is on Old Vine Sangiovese tended with organic and sustainable practices.

Included in their outstanding range are Chianti Classico Riserva, Classico Gran Selezione, and their most iconic wine, Anfiteatro. Recently, I sat down with Montefili winemaker Serena Gusmeri for a digital tasting of these impressive wines.

Serena Gusmeri

“We started with the scientific and organic approach,” said Serena. “We collect samples of soil and plants each year. The decision we made in 2018 to invest in understanding and caring for biodiversity is, for me, the foundation of Montefili’s viticulture.”

Where Wildflowers Meet Sangiovese

The Montefili belief is that every insect, flower, and microorganism plays a role. Most winemakers talk the most about their grapes, but Serena is equally enthusiastic about her wildflowers. 

Up to 62 species of wildflowers have been identified on the Montefili estate, which features a winery surrounded by 30 acres of vineyards. The flowers and bushes provide shelter for insects, including many predators of vineyard pests. 

A High-Altitude Vineyard Above Panzano

The vineyard conditions are unique. At altitudes ranging from 1,575 to 1,800 feet, the site has minimal humidity with a constant breeze. That breeze may explain why two flowers that are normally only found on Italy’s coast have been identified at Montefili. The high altitude in the hilltop ridges above Panzano means Montefili usually has the latest harvest in the area.

Soil types include the famed galestro, a brittle, flaky rock composed of clay, marl, and limestone that breaks apart and creates well-drained soil. Alberese is another well-known Chianti soil, rich in limestone and provides bright acidity. Hard sandstone and clay-rich soil round out the foundation for Sangiovese used for these powerful and graceful Chianti Classico wines.

Three Wines, Three Expressions of Montefili

The 2022 Riserva is the winery’s first expression of Sangiovese. It is a single-vineyard wine made with spontaneous fermentation. Elegant with medium body, it bursts with red fruit. There is a freshness and satisfying richness to each sip. Structure and refined tannins round out the package.

Vecchie di Terre Montefili

Nel Bosco means “in the woods,” and the 2020 Vigna Nel Bosco Gran Selezione features an earthy yet elevated interpretation of Sangiovese. The grapes come from vineyards planted in 1998 and 2002 on rich limestone Alberese soil. The wine is aged 24 months in barrel and an additional eight months in the bottle. Cherry, raspberry, and violet notes add interest to this beauty.

Anfiteatro takes its name from the way the vines are laid out like an amphitheater. The altitude, galestro and quartz soil, and 28 months of aging result in an iconic wine that represents the heart and soil of Montefili. The 2020 Anfiteatro is deep, rich, and the most age-worthy of the three wines sampled. Created with grapes from the oldest vineyard (1975), it is deep and complex. The additional hangtime from the late harvest, plus careful hand-selection, and the intensity of old-vine grapes contribute to a contemplative wine with a satin finish. This is a limited run with only 2,909 bottles produced.

The Riserva is priced in the US at $45 to $60; the Gran Selezione ranges from $90 to $125. Anfiteatro ranges from $85 to $110.

Rare Bottles from a Living Ecosystem

Montefili Biodiversity

These are no mass-market Chiantis. Montefili's flagship wines are produced in quantities of only a few thousand bottles annually, making them relatively rare even within Chianti Classico.

Montefili wines can be found in the US through specialty wine retailers with strong Italian selections, some branches of Total Wine in select markets, and independent wine shops that carry Volio Imports selections. You may need to special order through your fine wine merchant.

Montefili's wines impress with their complexity and sense of place. Serena Gusmeri and her team have made biodiversity their way of thinking, cultivating, and living. The wildflowers, insects, ancient soils, and old vines are all part of the same ecosystem. 

Serena believes great wine begins long before the grapes are harvested. At Montefili, it starts with the flowers blooming between the vines.

Bottle photo by Dave Nershi; others courtesy of Vecchie Terre di Montefili