Expert Ratings
Antonio Galloni writes: 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. Drinking 2022 -2030. - Vinous 93
Walter Speller writes: Lustrous crimson. At first subdued then opens up to crushed raspberries with savoury hints. Vibrant fruit with lots of acidity but really filled out across the palate. Long and with lots of crunch. San Casciano. 90% Sangiovese, 5% Canaiolo, 5% Colorino. Certified organic. Drinking 2022 - 2028. - Jancis Robinson 17.5
Monica Larner writes: The Montesecondo 2020 Chianti Classico is redolent of bright cherry and wild blueberry. It presents those pretty fruit tones with attractive intensity. This blend of 90% Sangiovese with Canaiolo and Colorino feels sweet and soft, but the ripeness is spot-on with no jammy sensations or heaviness. That contained quality of fruit, even in a hot vintage such as this, is one of the ace cards in Chianti Classico's hand. Aged in oak and cement, the wine ends with tart cherry and lasting freshness. Drinking 2022 -2028. - Robert Parker Wine Advocate 91
Michaela Morris writes: Montesecondo crafts just one Chianti Classico from two parcels in San Casciano. It ferments spontaneously, sees minimal sulphur additions and is aged in a combination of cement vats and medium-sized used oak casks. The 2020 starts discreetly, with forest brush and mint adding dimension to red currant and black raspberry. This is more savoury than sweet though, and it's the powdery, textured palate that really captivates. Fresh and tangy with nuances of orange peel, this sneaky wine isn't flamboyant but is very tasty. - Decanter 92
Raffaele Mosca writes: Montesecondo is part of an increasingly large group of small wineries that choose to pursue a minimalist approach: avoiding yeast addition, choosing concrete over oak, and using very little sulphur. This 2020 Chianti Classico offers aromas of blood orange, laurel, cassis and a hint of game. The palate is bright and savoury, with crunchy red fruit, juicy tannins, invigorating acidity and a mouthwatering saline tang. Drinking 2023 -2028. Decanter 93
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
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