On a Tuesday in early December 2016, Saverio Basagni from the Monterotondo winery in Gaiole in Chianti, who is into traditional winemaking, was a guest at my #WinesOfItaly #LiveStream. Livio Del Chiaro was helping out with the translation into English. Saverio was in the wine bar of Bianca and Livio while doing the live stream. The altitude in Gaiole makes wonders for the wine but can be a hinder when it comes to having a good internet connection. 😉
Monterotondo Winery in Gaiole
Monterotondo is a farm which existence can be traced as far back as to 1056, though it has only been in the property of the Basagni family since 1959. The property was bought by the grandfather of Saverio Basagni and today it is Saverio who runs the winery together with his wife, Fabiana. A part of the estate has been turned into an agritourism. So, if you want to experience some countryside living during your holiday, this is the place to go. They also give you the possibility to get a glimpse of the daily work in the vineyard.
Chianti Classico at High Altitude
This is a very small organic winery which is situated at 550-600 m.a.s.l. The altitude and the territory give special characteristics to the Chianti Classico wines such as freshness and distinct fruit aromas. Fabiana’s and Saverio’s aim is in fact to produce a Chianti Classico wine which stands out, and where the characteristics of the territory are what makes the difference.
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The estate comprises 3,5 hectares (8,6 acres) of vineyards where they cultivate the grape varieties Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Colorino, Malvasia Nera, Mammolo, and Malvasia Bianca. As mentioned before, Monterotondo is an organic winery and they are organically certified since 2003. Lately, Saverio is also thinking about venturing into the area of biodynamic farming. Still, it is only in an initial stage and he is pondering which biodynamic methods that could be beneficial to his wine production.
Valentino Ciarla asked a question in the beginning of the live stream, namely:
What type of soil do you have at Monterotondo?
The answer is sandstone and galestro. This type of soil gives a lot of minerality to the wine.
Now, Valentino already knew the answer, but it was a good question with an educational purpose. In that way, the viewers who were not as familiar with the Gaiole territory could learn more about the soil composition.
A Traditional Chianti Classico
Saverio was born in Florence but decided around 20 years ago to dedicate himself to restore the family winery. When replanting the vines and starting to produce a high-quality wine, he was convinced that he wanted to make a traditional Chianti Classico blend. Chianti Classico wines must contain a minimum of 80% Sangiovese and the other 20% can be a mix of local grape varieties or the international grapes Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
Instead of using international grapes, Saverio decided to only use local native grapes to cover the other 20%. Here we are talking about grapes such as Canaiolo, Colorino, Malvasia, and Mammolo,. Therefore, he calls himself a traditionalist. They produce three different wines, namely Sasso Grosso Malvasia Bianca di Toscana IGT, Vaggiolata Chianti Classico DOCG, and Seretina Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG.
One of the challenges when he started out 20 years ago, was to make people understand that Chianti Classico historically was something else than what was the general trend in those years. That is, to be one of the few who opted for a return to blends with local native grapes rather than focusing on more international grapes.
Saverio believes in communicating the local territory through his wines. He also believes that passion and tradition are important factors for a wine producer. He stresses that it takes a lot of determination, passion, and willpower to be a successful wine producer.
To learn more about Monterotondo winery and their Chianti Classico wines, you can listen to the entire episode below.
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Written by Katarina Andersson.
I just love this, Katarina–“Saverio believes in communicating the local territory through his wines.” I bet his wines are beautiful! Would love to taste 🙂
Thanks Susan, yes, he produce some great wines.
I truly believe you can taste the difference when a winemaker pursues his profession with passion, Katarina.I’d be lost on the willpower aspect – love to drink the wine way too much.:)
Well me too, regarding the willpower, Tamuria…:-)
I love that Saverio used more local wines. I have family in Italy and they always say that when making wine works best when it is made with local ingredients. The wine of Saverio sounds lovely. Thanks for sharing.
I agree that passion and tradition are important. I bet they make for a great wine as well.
Agree, passion makes all the difference, Christy. 🙂
Katrina,
You are showing the difference and you have the passion in local inferiority this is wonderful. Keep Up the good work.
Wow I love reading about the history of these wines. I’ve learned something new today. Thank you!
This really sums up why Saverio’s wines probably taste a cut above others in his region: “Saverio believes in communicating the local territory through his wines. He also believes that passion and tradition are important factors for a wine producer. He stresses that it takes a lot of determination, passion, and willpower to be a successful wine producer.”
From reading your blogs about wine and vintners, I can see that integrity is key to the final result. I also think that passion and tradition are so important not only to wineries, but to all successful businesses. Thanks for sharing another wonderful behind the scenes look at the wine industry, Katarina.
Love the passion for the local grower! Just love experiencing Italy through your eyes,
It is great to hear that Saverio decided to restore the family winery and uses local grapes rather than international. There is something sacred about preserving and restoring.
Passion and tradition are important when it comes to winemaking 🙂 Awesome post! Thanks for sharing Katarina!
I love chianti wine. Interesting that the best soil includes sandstone. I would not have expected that. Thanks for this mini tour of Tuscany
Your last post i read was so passionate i went and opened a bottle of red 🙂 This time it is 11.30am, so it has to be coffee.
Chianti is new to me, it was recommended in a recent recipe i was making for the first time, so i had to google it!
This makes me want to sit down on the back porch and enjoy a lovely glass of wine. Lately, I haven’t been slowing down enough to truly enjoy it.
I’m very impressed, Katarina, that you feature so many wine growers who are not only certified organic but also so passionate about their land, their soil and their grapes. It really is an insight into how committed growers are to producing a quality wine based on the qualities of their region and the preference for native flavors. I’m heartened to see a return to artisan skills over the mass produced blended wines.
Living vicariously through your posts, Katarina!