Tenuta Monteti: Showing the Excellence of Tuscan Coastal Wines
Fifteen kilometers from the Tyrrhenian Sea on the coast of Capalbio at an elevation of 145 meters asl, spouses Gemma Bracco and Paolo Baratta have found the perfect home in Maremma to cultivate vines and vinify them. It was in a valley protected by the Monteti hills. Maremma is a wild land with unspoiled nature stretching from the sea to the hills, permeating the air with Mediterranean scents. In 1998 when, after years of searching and faced with great challenges, they finally built Tenuta Monteti in their land of 28 hectares producing wines that represent the excellence of the southern part of Tuscany. It's different from the bolder reds of the other parts of the region but with absolute profound Mediterranean spirit that exemplifies a territory with its great expression.
The transformation of the former grazing land and a ruined house, which at that time was still unexplored with the production of high quality wines, had been a taxing task but with the persistence of the couple and the support of Carlo Ferrini, their consultant oenologist, they were able to pave the way to an exceptional project of wine production thanks to the extraordinary potential of the land. Instead of planting Sangiovese, the typical grape of the region, they planted Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Alicante Bouschet, varieties that they found to give the best expression on the Mediterranean hills. The winery was designed to work using the force of gravity throughout the production process and to apply a parcelled winemaking and ageing method in strict harmony with field diversity. The year 2004 saw the completion of the construction and it was also the first vintage of the winery.
In 2010 the company was delegated to the management of the couple's daughter, Eva, together with her husband Javier Pedrazzini who acts as the sales production supervisor. Carlo Ferrini remains as the consultant oenologist with Christian Coco who works as the managing oenologist and Roberto Rossi as the agronomist. Tenuta Monteti has increasingly focused its attention on respecting the environment in all aspects of the production process. In fact in the year 2017, Caburnio and Monteti, two of the three wines in the production line, obtained the Sustainable Wine Certificate as part of the V.I.V.A. Sustainable Vitiviniculture Programme of the Ministry for the Environment, Land and Sea.
At Monteti, the grape plots are processed separately wherein the cellar was conceived and designed to accommodate this system. Harvests are done one plot of vineyard per day (about one hectare) and the product undergoes a separate vinification in a dedicated vat and is kept classified separately also while maturing in wood or steel, up to the moment when the wine is blended. The importance of working by plots is that it allows each vintage different types, for example, of Petit Verdot or Cabernet Sauvignon, depending on the original vineyard plot, like sub-crus. This gives an extraordinary range of possibilities when the time comes to make up the two wines. More than an estate of 28 hectares, the family likes to describe it as an estate that is 28 times one hectare.
The wine production of the estate is limited to three labels: Monteti, an elegant red wine; Caburnio, a more complex red wine with excellent freshness, both awarded gold medal at the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles 2022; and TM Rosé, a rosé wine reminiscent of the Provencal style. In a wine tasting in Rome, Eva and Javier took their three labels paired with the dishes of Chef Domenico of Villa Laetitia la Torre.
TM Rosé 2021
This is the third label of the winery which was born in 2014 with a small production. Produced from 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, harvested by hand then softly pressed. Fermentation in stainless steel vats at a low temperature to preserve freshness and aromas then cold tartaric stabilization at -5° before bottling. A pale salmon wine with delicate aromas of strawberries, white peach and notes of citrus fruits with a pleasant freshness, lingering sapidity, ending with persistence. Great for aperitif, simple vegetable dishes and raw seafood.
Caburnio 2017
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Alicante Bouschet and Merlot wherein 50% of the grapes mature in stainless steel vats while the other half matures in barrique and tonneaux made of medium toasted French oak, 25 to 30% of which are new. It spends another 12 months in the bottle before it goes to the market. It has a full ruby color, tinged with vibrancy. In the nose the spices and pepper open up with dark stone fruits while on the palate it, you can appreciate the freshness, young tannins, and juiciness, giving a beautiful drinkability and potential for longevity.
Monteti 2017
Monteti is the flagship wine. It is named like the estate after the hill that protects the vineyards from the strong Mediterranean winds guaranteeing an ideal microclimate. Produced from a blend of 55% Petit Verdot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Cabernet Franc. It matures for 18 months in medium-toasted French oak barrique, 70% of which are new. This is followed by further 2 years of bottle ageing before being released to the market. In this wine, the family seeks to represent the Maremma territory with the Petit Verdot giving the personality, the Cabernet Sauvignon the structure and longevity and the Cabernet Franc the softens both. Full ruby red in color with brightness, with a nose that shows complexity and clear aromas of dark berries, violet and hints of dried roses. On the palate, it enters with refined tunes of dark stone fruit, firm tannins, dried tobacco, as it expands to more fruit while in the mouth. Finishes with persistence.
Monteti Riserva 2011
The Monteti Riserva is released only after 10 years from its harvest, while the Monteti is released after two years in the bottle, the Riserva stays in the bottle for more years. The evolution of the wine is exceptional, with vibrant hues of ruby red and hints of garnet, more complex and intense in the nose with as with the palate, reflecting elegance and beautiful longevity.
Tenuta Monteti
Strada della Sgrilla, 6
58011 Capalbio (Grosseto), Italy
Tel: +39 0564 896160
Website: https://www.tenutamonteti.it/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TenutaMonteti