2019 Le Chiuse Rosso Di Montalcino

Le Chiuse has ancient origins as a source of wine, wheat and olive oil.

The estate came into the possession of the Biondi Santi family at the end of the 18th century as a dowry of Maria Tamanti when she married Clemente Santi. Their daughter Caterina married Jacopo Biondi and their son Ferruccio, the great grandfather of Simonetta Valiani, respected his mother’s wishes and added her surname Santi to the family name. Ferruccio Biondi Santi, after having fought alongside Garibaldi, continued the work of his grandfather Clemente by selecting and enhancing vines until he obtained a particular clone of Sangiovese Grosso that became the source of the original Brunello di Montalcino.

Ferruccio’s son Tancredi bequeathed Le Chiuse and two other properties to his daughter Fiorella, urging her never to sell the estate because it was there that the grapes for the famous Brunello Riserva originated. From then on Fiorella leased the farms to her brother Franco, owner of the renowned Il Greppo estate, who cultivated the vineyards and vinified the grapes until 1990. When Fiorella died in 1986, her daughter Simonetta Valiani, who inherited her grandfather Tancredi’s love for the land and passion for wine, began to produce her own Brunello from Le Chiuse. With great dedication, she worked with her husband Nicolò Magnelli and son Lorenzo in restoring the estate buildings and chapel, constructing an underground cellar and planting new vineyards. .

In August, the “green harvest” consists of a selection of the better bunches of grapes and the discarding of almost half of the entire production of the vineyards. This operation is essential in achieving high quality with a more complete maturation of the remaining grapes and optimal concentration in the final wine. The low yields also reduce the risk of attacks from disease, guaranteeing healthier grapes. The actual harvest begins in the second half of September when the largest bunches of Sangiovese Grosso grapes are gathered by hand for Rosso di Montalcino and the sparkling Stellare. A few weeks later, the smaller bunches of grapes are harvested for Brunello di Montalcino and, in the best years, Brunello di Montalcino Riserva. Grapes are selected and picked by hand and, thanks to the proximity of vineyards and cellar, arrive at the stemmer-crusher in less than a half hour. A gravitational system permits the musts to flow directly into stainless steel vats to begin fermentation.