Style: Red Wine

Producer: Monte Bernardi

Grape: Sangiovese

Where: Vino de Tavola (declassified Chianti Classico)

Country: Italy 

Taste: Dark spices combine with fresh berry fruits to create a wine with accessibility and a beguiling complexity.

Cerified Organic & Biodynamic Farming

.

Aging: 80% Concrete and 20% Stainless Steel 

The estate name, Monte Bernardi, dates back to 1085. The majority of the vineyards are over 40 years old, with the first wine produced in 1992. Previously the grapes were sold to neighboring farms. The Schmelzer family purchased Monte Bernardi in 2003 and has since invested great amounts of time, love and money in the vineyards, the winery and villa. The Monte Bernardi estate extends over 53 hectares (130 acres), of which 9.5 hectares (23.5 acres). The vineyards are situated in the hilly, southern-most region of Panzano, an area that has been acknowledged as one of the Grand Cru of Chianti Classico. The vines are planted on a soil of a high rock content mixture, which depending on the vineyard, consists of shale (Galestro), sandstone (Arenaria) and limestone (Alberese). The vineyards are perfectly situated - standing at an altitude of 350 meters above sea level, surrounded by forests and enjoying a southern exposure, with the river Pesa flowing just a few hundred meters to the south. These factors contribute to the unique micro-climate of Monte Bernardi. 

“MONTE BERNARDI” Sowing the seed in 2003, Michael Schmelzer, who is American, moved to Italy with his family and purchased 10ha of organic vineyards, in the “belly button of Chianti Classico” at Monte Bernardi. When he planted in 2005 and began farming biodynamically, he did not yet know what it would entail or how difficult it would be. However he did know that conventional vineyards tend to spray when it rains, to help prevent the grapes from rotting, and that these chemicals simply wash off of the vines and into the soil. Schmelzer decided that if he built healthy vine from the roots up then he would have healthy vineyard that were less affected by mold and pests.