Learn more about the Chianti wine of Montalbano that is part of the Pistoia Box by Radici Italiane
We approach the hills above the town of Quarrata, where the panorama stretches across the plain from Pistoia to Florence. On the clearest days, Brunelleschi’s dome and Giotto’s bell tower can be seen. It is precisely on these hills that Chianti Montalbano wine, a variety of Chianti recognized with the DOCG label, is produced.
The specification calls for the use of 70% to 100% Sangiovese grapes. Vineyards must be located in hilly areas and the traditional winemaking practice of “governo all’uso Toscano” is allowed. This is a technique used since the Middle Ages and consists of a slow refermentation of freshly racked wine with slightly dried grapes. The result is a slightly sparkling wine with excellent drinkability.
To reach the Lucciano Estate, we leave behind Tizzana, an ancient medieval village that served as a stronghold in Pistoia’s defensive system against nearby rival Florence. Today Tizzana retains only a few ruins of its castle, and although it has lost importance to Quarrata, located on the plains and thus easier to reach, it boasts an excellent position over the entire Montalbano.
Here, following a road that skirts the green hills, we arrive at the vineyard, which is located above the old farmhouse owned by the Spalletti counts. The land has a significant slope and good exposure to the sun, which enhances the wine with notes that are never the same.
The Chianti hills of Montalbano and the DOCG-certified wine.
Count Spalletti tells us about the time when his grandfather decided to set aside these plots as vineyards, to produce a wine that would combine quality and drinkability. He reveals the decisive contribution in favor of the winery that his grandmother, Countess Spalletti, made. She was moreover a pioneer of women’s civil and social rights. In fact, in parallel with the wine business she founded an embroidery company and recognized women workers with a number of protections such as maternity benefits and compensation for injury or illness.
Count Spalletti’s is a family history of great significance for the entire surrounding area. Here the vine enjoys a particularly favorable exposure. A strength that we then find at the table when we taste this wine, which tells of the bond between three generations of this winery and the beautiful surrounding hills.
- Click here to buy this product in the Pistoia box
- Click here to buy this product creating your own custom box
- Click here to discover where and how this product is made