prestigious winery

Rocca di Montegrossi is located near Monti in Chianti, one of the finest sections of Chianti Classico, about 7 km south of Gaiole in Chianti. The winery is located near the Romanesque church of San Marcellino. Rocca di Montegrossi’s owner Marco Ricasoli Firidolfi is a descendant of Bettino Ricasoli, that played a central role in the history of the Chianti Classico region and laid the foundations for Chianti Classico wine.

The succession of Rocca di Montegrossi

Located in the Commune of Gaiole in Chianti, the fortress Rocca di Montegrossi was established by Geremia, founder of the Ricasoli Firidolfi family, during the Longobard period (VII-VIII Centuries AD).

The fortress is strategically located, dominating much of Chianti and the Valdarno Superiore, and has had an adventurous, rich, and at time dramatic history.

During the reign of Frederick II, also known as Frederick the Great, the Rocca was the Imperial Seat and it was at the heart of many battles, suffering serious damage many times, for example in 1172 at the hands of the Florentines. It was then rebuilt by the Aragons, and razed by Charles V’s troops in 1530.

Tradition and passion for viticulture

The owner’s passion for vineyards and fieldwork drives his entrepreneurial spirit. Indeed, together with consultant agronomists Dr. Stefano Dini and Dr. Dario Ceccatelli and the vineyards’ supervisor, Slavko Grabovac, Marco Ricasoli Firidolfi personally oversees all the operations in the vineyards.

His goal is to reach the perfect balance between growth and production through daily care of the vines, from pruning to abundant targeted organic manuring of the soil, from green manuring to different works (green harvest, grape thinning, crown pruning, and defoliation a few weeks prior to the harvest). At Rocca di Montegrossi harvest is manual and carried out in three phases to guarantee that the grapes are selected and picked only when they are perfectly ripe. Grapes are collected into small baskets.

The estate produces two Chianti Classicos. Both are based on Sangiovese, which, in this area, yields an extremely elegant, balanced wine with pleasant minerality. To further increase the complexity of the wines, two indigenous complementary varietals are added: Canaiolo (in 2000 a further vineyard was planted using cuttings from selected vines in the estate’s older vineyards) and Pugnitello. Monti in Chianti is one of the areas of Chianti Classico best suited to the cultivation of the vine. For this reason Rocca di Montegrossi’s owner Marco Ricasoli Firidolfi decided to also plant varietals that have nothing to do with tradition, but that allow the terroir to different expressions.

Planted in 1997, these varietals are used to make an IGT Toscana: Geremia, a Merlot (about 70%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (about 30%) blend that offers a different interpretation of the terroir’s potencial. In fact, while Marco’s Chianti Classico wines, although produced in a modern style, remain tied to the history of Chianti Classico, Geremia represents the land’s expression through nonindigenous varietals. 

Starting from vintage 2015, a new IGT wine has been added to the portfolio thanks to the owner’s great intuition: Ridolfo, a 50-50% blend of Pugnitello and Cabernet Sauvignon. A unique wine, bottled only in numbered magnums and jeroboams, for collectors of exciting and iconic wines.

These main labels are flanked by the Rosato, with a pleasant structure that combines a vibrant acidity with mineral tones. It is produced exclusively with 100% Sangiovese grapes. 

Last but not least, the renowned Vin Santo del Chianti Classico DOC, a typical local product and, above all, the producer’s true passion and the pride of Rocca di Montegrossi.

The Vineyards

Great Passion

The estate extends over an area of 100 hectares (247 acres); 20 are planted to vine (49 acres), another 20 are olive groves (49 acres), and the remainder is woodland.

The vineyards unfold on gentle south and southeast-facing hillsides with calcareous and medium texture soils. They are at elevations between 340 and 510 meters (1115-1673 feets) above sea level. The vineyards are planted primarily to the varietals traditionally grown in Chianti Classico, although there is also a small percentage of international varietals. The main varietal is Sangiovese, with 13 hectares (32 acres), followed by Merlot, with 2.5 hectares (6 acres), while the remaining 4.5 hectares (11 acres) are planted to Canaiolo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pugnitello, and Malvasia Bianca del Chianti. Planting density ranges from 3.300 vines per hectare in the older vineyards, trained to the unilateral horizontal cordon spur system, to 5.208-6.211 vines per hectare in the more recent vineyards, which are mostly trained to guyot. 

Olive trees

Quality

Rocca di Montegrossi’s olive groves are planted around the winery, on gentle, well exposed slopes, under ideal conditions for the production of high-quality EVO Oil. The estate boasts about a thousand trees (Coreggiolo and Moraiolo cultivar). The olive groves are planted in the traditional coltura promiscua manner, interspersed with other fruit trees, and in keeping with the traditions of Chianti, are pruned in the polyconic vase system.

The Cellar

eco

Rocca di Montegrossi’s cellar has been designed to allow the owner and Attilio Pagli, the consulting enologist, together with the cellar master, Antonio Ferru, to handle the grapes from the estate’s vineyards in the best possible way.

From a functional standpoint, the cellar is designed to preserve the quality of the grapes, and avails of traditional techniques and the best of modern viticulture: from the horizontal destemmer to the thermo-conditioned glasslined cement tanks, to the upright conical Allier oak vats with temperature control and computer-governed pneumatic plungers for punch downs. Thermo-conditioned stainless-steel tanks are exclusively used for the Rosato.

The aging of the red wines in Allier oak barriques and tonneaux is tailored to the specific wines and vintages. Finally, the winery’s crown jewel is the vinsantaia, located in a well-ventilated space up under the rafters. Here, in an airy 90-square meter room 160 nets hang from the ceiling, upon which bunches of grapes are hung, and inspected every week until they finish drying in the month of December or January of the year following the harvest. The little must obtained from the pressing goes into very small casks (either 50 or 100 litres), each made from a variety of woods (oak, cherry, mulberry).

Terroir

Varieties

Rocca di Montegrossi’s estate, located in the micro-area of Monti in Chianti, is morphologically a small plateau with an altitude between 340 and 510 meters (1115-1673 feets) a.s.l.

Geologically, the territory of Monti in Chianti is mainly composed of limestone and marlstone that are rich in calcium (Marna Calcarea) and contain a certain amount of clays. The presence of limestones and marly limestones, which coexist with sands and clays, not only gives the right draining to the ground, but also influence our wines’ minerality, elegance and structure.

ethical and sustainable production

Rocca di Montegrossi converted to organic farming in 2006 (all products are certified organic from 2010). The estate is strongly committed to environmental sustainability: 24 kW photovoltaic panels have been installed to provide self-sustaining energy; only certified 100% clean energy from renewable resources is being used to cover the remaining needs. Solar panels have been installed for heating and for the production of sanitary warm water. Finally, a charging station for electric cars is also available.

TELEFONO
+39 (0)577 747977
WHATSAPP
327 7315535
INDIRIZZO
Località San Marcellino
E-MAIL
roccadimontegrossi@chianticlassico.com
PHONE
+39 (0)577 747977
WHATSAPP
327 7315535
ADDRESS
Località San Marcellino
E-MAIL
roccadimontegrossi@chianticlassico.com