Iconic Producers Wine Club

Iconic Producers Wine Club

WTF! type of wine. If you want to impress people in the know, join this! However, we are not into impressing. We are interested in the introspective qualities wine allows. These wines are special, they are wines of authorship, of intention. These are wines to be shared, intimately. Wines of meditation, as Alejandro would say “enjoyed in the company of oneself”

These winemaker-defined wines are precious and few. This is our smallest club, just a handful of bottles.

Iconic Producers Vol. 9

Montevertine: The Rebel Masterpiece of Chianti

Nestled in the cool, high-altitude hills of Radda in Chianti, Montevertine is widely considered one of the absolute pinnacles of traditional Tuscan winemaking. Paradoxically, you won't find the words "Chianti Classico" on any of their bottles. This legendary estate famously walked away from the region's official wine laws to protect the pure soul of the Sangiovese grape.

The estate was purchased in 1967 by Sergio Manetti, an industrialist from Florence. Manetti planted a few vines to make wine for his friends, but the quality of the terroir was so undeniable that by 1971, he was producing commercial vintages.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the official Chianti Classico rules mandated that winemakers blend white grapes (like Trebbiano) into their red wines, while also allowing trendy international grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon. Manetti, alongside his brilliant lifelong friend and legendary master taster Giulio Gambelli, the "Sangiovese Whisperer", fiercely disagreed. They believed the limestone soils of Radda produced world-class, 100% pure Sangiovese that shouldn't be diluted.

In 1981, Manetti officially left the Chianti Classico consortium in protest. Because he refused to follow the blending laws, his wines were stripped of their prestigious DOCG status and downgraded by the government to basic Vino da Tavola (Table Wine)—today classified as Toscana IGT. Yet, the wine world took notice, and Montevertine's "table wines" quickly became more sought after and expensive than almost any official Chianti on the market.

The unique elegance of Montevertine comes down to its specific location in Radda, the highest, coolest and most forested of the Chianti Classico sub-zones. The high elevation creates massive temperature drops at night, preserving a laser-like acidity in the grapes. The ground is packed with Alberese (limestone) and Galestro (rocky slate-shale). This poor, stony soil forces the vines to dig deep, giving the wines their signature chalky tannins and chiseled mineral backbone.

The estate is now run by Sergio's son, Martino Manetti, who hasn't changed a single thing about his father's old-school blueprint. The focus remains strictly on Sangiovese, supplemented only by tiny amounts of traditional blending partners Canaiolo and Colorino. Fermentations happen naturally using native yeasts in unlined concrete vats. The wines are aged for years in large, neutral Slavonian oak casks (botti). New, small French oak barrels (barriques) are strictly avoided for the main cuvées to ensure the wood never masks the fruit.

Montevertine Le Pergola Torte 2022 $ 299

As Montevertine's legendary flagship bottling, Le Pergole Torte is a masterclass in 100% Sangiovese, sourced entirely from the estate's oldest and finest high-altitude parcels in Radda.

Despite the warm, dry conditions of the 2022 growing season, Radda’s cool mountain microclimate allowed the fruit to maintain its signature structural precision, resulting in a bold yet remarkably elegant masterpiece built for the long haul.

It pours a brilliant, dark garnet-ruby color and opens with a complex, expressive nose of ripe red cherries, black plums, bergamot tea, and a touch of sweet licorice. On the palate, a deep, full-bodied but beautifully contoured frame is shaped by exceptionally integrated, velvety tannins and a long, refreshing acidity. Layered flavors of dark red fruit, new leather, and cedar seamlessly blend into savory undertones of forest floor and crushed limestone. The finish is polished and expansive, leaving a persistent, mouthwatering impression.

The wine is fermented with native yeasts in traditional concrete vats before embarking on a careful dual-aging process—spending 18 months in large Slavonian oak casks followed by a final six months in neutral French oak barriques.

You cannot talk about Montevertine without mentioning the striking labels of Le Pergole Torte. Every year since 1982, the bottle features a different painting of a woman’s face by the late, Italian artist Alberto Manfredi. A close family friend who even after his passing, the winery continues to use his vast archive of unpublished watercolors and sketches.

Montevertine Montevertine 2022 $ 125

Sourced from the high-altitude hills of Radda, this namesake bottling is a classic blend of Sangiovese with small additions of Canaiolo and Colorino. It is a wonderfully pure, elegant red that showcases old-school Tuscan winemaking at its best.

It pours a bright ruby red, opening with clear aromas of sour cherries, wild raspberries, and dried tobacco leaf. On the palate, a medium-bodied frame is shaped by fine-grained, chalky tannins. Flavors of tart red plums blend naturally with savory undertones of leather and forest floor. A vibrant, limestone-driven acidity keeps the wine tasting exceptionally fresh and focused. It finishes clean and dry, leaving a lingering, mouthwatering impression.

The estate famously rejects international grapes, opting for a traditional approach that captures the cool, rocky terroir of their limestone soils. Fermented in concrete tanks, the 2022 vintage spent two years aging in large Slavonian oak casks.

Montevertine Pian del Ciampolo 2023 $ 65

Sourced from high-altitude vineyards in Radda in Chianti, Pian del Ciampolo is Montevertine’s beautifully approachable entry-level red. Composed of 90% Sangiovese alongside small additions of Canaiolo and Colorino. It is a remarkably vibrant, fresh wine that delivers immediate drinking pleasure while carrying the estate's signature complexity.

It pours a bright, translucent ruby red and opens with lively aromas of wild red cherries, fresh raspberries, and subtle hints of violet and orange peel. On the palate, a sleek, medium-bodied frame reveals succulent red currant and plum flavors wrapped in chiseled, fine-grained tannins. Savory nuances of fresh Tuscan earth, mint, and a touch of white pepper build a clean, layered profile that feels incredibly weightless. A bright, refreshing acidity carries the fruit smoothly into a long, dry finish, leaving a persistent, mouthwatering impression.

Enjoy the pinnacle of Chianti – sorry not Chianti…