It is still possible to discover pearls hidden amongst the many renowned names of oenology in the Tuscany countryside, enterprises that aim for simple, but never discounted, quality. Standing out among these is the Fattoria di Montemaggio, which is in the Radda in Chianti Municipality, in the heart of the Chianti Classico area, where a XIV tower was constructed on the Roman road between Siena and Florence. Montemaggio was shown on a map of the ”Capitani di parte Guelfa” of 1560, which is conserved in the Radda Podesteria. The toponym derives from Monte Maggiore, with reference to the high position of the locality: around 600 metres above sea level.
The special position given by the altitude together with the micro climate, ensures that Montemaggio can offer a vast products range, commencing with great and meticulous work in the vineyard and then in the cellar, from which originate: Chianti Classico, Chianti Classico Riserva, Igt (Merlot), Igt (Merlot and Sangiovese), Rosè di Sangiovese, Chardonnay, Grappa, Grappa Riserva and finally Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Montemaggio is first and foremost headed by women:

Valeria Zavadnikova, the young owner of Russian origin, but with an international background, whose passion for wine has been complemented over time with specific expertise to be then transformed into a true and proper labour of love. It is not by chance that also with Ilaria Anichini, Agronomist and Manger of the Company, females are the new image of Montemaggio. The idea is that of Andrey Remnev, a well-known and quoted Russian artist who created a painting representing a young Etruscan woman with a basket of grapes from which Marina Zimoglyad, his designer wife, took the inspiration to create graphics for the logo and labels.
Various fundamental personages for the company work with these two ladies, both in the vineyard and cellar. First of all there is the oenologist: Andrea Paoletti, who has been the oenological consultant for Montemaggio since 1996.

The estate, which is a member of the Chianti Classico Consortium, covers a surface area of 70 hectares comprising vineyards, olive groves and woods. This helps in creating the Chianti Classico Wine. The vineyards, which occupy a surface area of about 9 hectares, are almost all in the centre of the estate and mainly facing South-West on ground of diverse origins but prevalently rich with marl, alberese and sand stone. It is mainly for this reason that the Montemaggio wines feature elegance and aromatic subtlety.
The greater part of the vineyards, characterised by a high density per hectare, are Sangiovese in addition to small portions of Merlot, Pugnitello, Chardonnay, Malvasia Nera and Ciliegiolo, which are not yet all in production.

Montemaggio is in an area most suited to the production of wine and hence cultivation is conducted with maximum respect for nature and minimum use of chemicals. It is an estate that follows the biological agriculture rules (with certification from 2009), from which originate wines that are 100% a unique artisanal product, thus it is possible to savour the natural taste of the wine. The Montemaggio philosophy is simple: bring to life high quality products, strictly related to the territory. “We are happy to be a small estate and remain as such – emphasises Valeria Zavadnikova, the young owner – so as to be able to check every one of our plants and then each of our bottles, thereby ensuring our customers have a really unique and special product”.

Montemaggio wines are irrevocably related to the land where they are cultivated “to their soil” and have absorbed the wild flavour of the woods surrounding the estate. Added to this is the meticulous work in the vineyard and then the cellar.

First and foremost it is important to emphasise that different clones and root stock are planted for every grape variety, so that the best can be selected. All planting densities of the vineyards are high (in some zones up to 6250 plants per hectare). The position of the shoots is then regulated through pruning, subsequently with cleaning the leaves, thinning of the bunches and finally followed by careful selection of the grapes in the vineyard and cellar. Against this, the grape is produced in a small quantity (even as low as 35-45 quintal per hectare, up to 60-70 Ql/Ha).

The growing form chosen is a ploughed cordon and other forms, including the tree form, are in the experimentation phase in the new vineyards, thereby anticipating maturation and the guyot.

All this, combined with the South, South-West exposure, the slope, micro climate, nature of the land and hard and meticulous work, guarantees a high quality result.

The grape harvesting phase is no less important: each bunch is carefully selected in the vineyards and the selection continues on the screening table before the grapes enter the cellar. Grapes are completely hand harvested and only when they are perfectly matured.

With regard to the cellar, the principal intent is to limit utilisation of casks to the maximum, in order to have the opportunity to enjoy the wine without the woody taste prevailing. Chianti wine is known for the same. For Sangiovese specifically, large or tonneaux barrels are prevalently used, for the purpose of not corrupting the flavour of the wine with vanilla or tannin traces that are too invasive. Tuscan wine is also a classic wine which is termed as one of its own kind.

By utilising barrels and due to the high altitude, once bottled Montemaggio wines require long ageing in the bottle before being able to be put on the market, sometimes with different timing compared to other companies.

A gem aside, which evidences the owner’s true love for the earth and its fruits, is the marvellous market garden designed so as reconcile the cultivation needs with the scheme of a garden in which the main constituent elements are re-proposed and re-visited. In fact, the market garden is divided into raised beds arranged symmetrically where planting is planned each season that is associated with the typical species of a family market garden, cultivates flowers and fruit trees with an ornamental effect and a productive aspect that adds the application of agrarian consociation, the foundation of biological agriculture.

The aesthetic study is notable: the fencing is shielded by fruit trees grown in vertical trestles amongst which plum trees predominate, which in future will be utilised in the production of a sweet dessert wine.
The garden that surrounds the farm has no less of an effect; this too was planned by a countryside agronomist Francesca Benza (www.francescabenza.com), once again highlighting the attention to detail and particulars and contributes to revealing Montemaggio as wholly harmonic.