Monte Bernardi 2022 Sa'etta Chianti Classico Riserva

Monte Bernardi 2022 Sa'etta Chianti Classico Riserva

Monte Bernardi
$52.00

Grape: Sangiovese
Vintage: 2022
Type: Red

This single-vineyard Chianti Classico Riserva is a pure expression of sangiovese sourced from the estate's finest old-vine parcel. Winemaker Michael Schmelzer manages the forty-year-old vines under certified biodynamic practices in the southern hills of Panzano. The plot features a unique soil composition of highly reflective sandstone rich with quartz inclusions that naturally concentrates the fruit. The hand-picked grapes undergo spontaneous native fermentation and an extended maturation process in neutral oak casks.

It displays a deep ruby hue, releasing a complex nose of dark cherries, leather, licorice, and dried Mediterranean herbs. On the palate, the medium-to-full body is deeply structured, balancing concentrated red fruit with a firm, chalky tannin framework. A sharp wave of mountain acidity cuts right through the textured mouthfeel, maintaining excellent freshness. Savory notes of crushed gravel and iron add deep structural balance across the mid-palate. It finishes long, dry, and persistent.

Monte Bernardi is a biodynamic estate in Panzano, at the southern end of Chianti Classico, led by Michael Schmelzer since his family purchased the property in 2003. Schmelzer approaches the farm as a complete ecosystem and focuses on Sangiovese grown in Panzano's galestro-rich hillsides, alongside traditional regional varieties. Fermentations are spontaneous and élevage favors large, neutral vessels that frame rather than mask the fruit. Wines such as Retromarcia and Sa'etta are transparent, savory and energetic, presenting Chianti Classico through red fruit, earth and firm acidity rather than extraction or new oak.