Montevertine sits in the Chianti hills in the comune of Radda in Chianti, at 425 metres above sea level. Sergio Manetti, a steel industrialist, bought it in 1967 as a holiday home. He planted two hectares of vines soon after, and the first vintage, 1971, went to Vinitaly in Verona through the Siena Chamber of Commerce.
The vineyards carry only the traditional Chianti varieties. Sangiovese makes up about 90%, with Canaiolo and Colorino sharing the rest. No other varieties have ever been planted. Le Pergole Torte, one of the estate's wines, comes from a two-hectare vineyard planted in 1968 and facing north-northeast.
The cellar work is simple. Fermentation happens in glazed cement vats without temperature control, with two pump-overs a day for slow tannin extraction. The wines age about two years in Slavonian and Allier oak casks and in 225-litre Allier barriques. They're never filtered and are bottled by gravity. Besides Montevertine and Le Pergole Torte, the range includes Pian del Ciampolo, plus olive oil, grappa and gin.
Not tasted yet
I haven't reviewed a wine from Montevertine yet. They're on my Top 100 list, which is built from awards.