Podere Le Boncie Chiesamonti Rosso di Toscana 2023

Podere Le Boncie, situated in the hamlet of San Felice outside Castelnuovo Berardenga, has established itself as one of the most exciting traditionalist estates in the Chianti Classico zone. 

Giovanna Morganti studied oenology herself and went to work in the mid 1980s for San Felice wines in Castelnuovo Berardenga, near Siena, on a project to plant around 300 traditional Tuscan grape varietals collected from old vineyards.

When Giovanna’s father gifted her a small farm with olive groves, called Le Boncie, she added a vineyard planted with her favorites from the project - Sangiovese, obviously, but also Ciliegiolo, Colorino, Foglia tonda Mammolo and Prugnolo. The vineyard, planted to a very high density of 7000 vines per hectare and dedicated principally to Sangiovese, produces the definitive wine of the estate: "Le Trame". 

In 2006, Giovanna acquired the rights to an exquisite 1.5-hectare vineyard a couple of miles up the road from the cellar called Chiesa Monti. Chiesamonti provides a fascinating counterpoint to “Le Trame”: silkier, higher-toned, and overall prettier, with a more blatant mineral underpinning and less sumptuously fleshy fruit. Made nearly entirely from Sangiovese with a touch of Canaiolo, it spends two years in wood just like its sister wine, but with a higher proportion of used 500- and 600-liter barrels.

This year, Chiesamonti is deep and powerful, but delivers this profile with incredible clarity. Earthy notes intermingle with spice and burnt citrus tones. Everything is woven together seamlessly, as silken curves frame a heart of dark cherry and plum, layered with blood orange, rose petal, lavender, and spice. It’s pure allure, nothing short of irresistible. 

Pairing: Bistecca alla fiorentina, creamy polenta topped with sautéed wild porcini mushrooms, or brick oven pizza piled high with sausage.