The 11 UGAs include: Greve, Radda, Lamole, Panzano, Gaiole, Castelnuovo Berardenga, Vagliagli, Castellina, San Donato in Poggio, San Casciano, and Montefioralle. In each location, soil composition, elevation and exposure can give a very distinctive stylistic difference and this site-specific delineation is aimed to help navigate the larger melting pot of Chianti Classico. In the words of the cartographer Alessandro Masnaghetti (aka the ‘Mapman’), “The introduction of the UGAs represents an epochal turning point for the denomination. A change of perspective that leads producers and their wines to be no longer single actors, but expressions of a territory in relation to each other.”
How does this translate for Greve, il nostro territorio?
This is a diverse sub-region because there is a patchwork of soils and varying influences based on the proximity of the Greve river. As a general trait, wines from this sub-region are frequently described as having rigour and substance, with wines from the left bank showing a tendency towards darker fruit characters compared to those along the right bank of the river. To the north, the wines of Greti tend to have greater tannic austerity, whilst the wines of Ruffoli tend to exhibit a little more freshness; and further east, the wines of Dudda and Lucolena are noted for their class and balance.
For us at Montecalvi, even within our 10ha estate we have two different soil types from two different soil formations: Macigno and Sillano. The Macigno is a hard, non-calcerous sandstone which gives our wines delicacy and agility, while the Sillano is a clayey marlstone which lends our wines greater body and richness of fruit.
