Montenidoli Chianti Colli Senesi Il Garrulo 2023
We have 12 in stock (Inventory is live and accurate)
The Land
Montenidoli is a wooded hill above San Gimignano, roughly 200 hectares of oak, holm oak, flowering ash, and pine with vineyards and olive groves set into clearings. Its two halves were made by different ages of the earth. During the Quaternary, the Ligurian Sea pushed into these valleys and left the lower slopes white, sandy, calcareous, and full of shell fragments; higher up, red soil sits over cavernous Triassic rock. Il Garrulo comes from vines between 250 and 350 meters on clay and limestone, inside the San Gimignano zone of the Chianti Colli Senesi DOCG. The estate has no close neighbors, so nobody else's spray drifts onto the vines. Lower, warmer sites and calcareous clay suit a red built for freshness and immediate pleasure.
The Wine
Il Garrulo is Chianti made the old way, with white grapes in the blend. Sangiovese and Canaiolo are joined by Trebbiano and Malvasia, the four traditional Chianti varieties, following a formula most of the region abandoned decades ago. The grapes ferment together and the wine is raised in glass-lined concrete vats, then finished in bottle, with no wood at any stage. Concrete keeps the fruit in front and the tannin light, and the white grapes add lift and perfume. Expect brilliant ruby color, red cherry, wild strawberry, and violet, a lively, juicy middle, and a crisp, mouthwatering finish. The 2023 season in Tuscany brought a wet late spring, and downy and powdery mildew forced early, costly treatments; Coldiretti estimated regional output down about 20 percent.
The People
Elisabetta Fagiuoli was born in Verona and grew up inside the Valpolicella winemaking tradition. In 1965, with help from her grandmother, she bought this abandoned hillside, which had no road, no water, and no electricity and had largely gone back to forest. She made her first commercial wine in 1971, which Luigi Veronelli wrote about, and for more than a decade made only red; the marine fossils in the lower vineyards later convinced her white wine belonged here too. With her late partner Sergio Muratori, a psychologist and educator, she took in children from hard circumstances, and the Fondazione Sergio il Patriarca carries that work on at the estate. She credits Giulio Gambelli among her mentors. Montenidoli is certified organic by ICEA, and she calls organic farming a question of culture, not fashion.
Food Pairing
Montenidoli calls Il Garrulo the tomato wine, and it earns the name. Give it a chill, around 58°F. Spaghetti with a quick sauce of San Marzano tomatoes, garlic, and torn basil works because the wine's acidity matches the tomato's and the low tannin never turns metallic. Pappa al pomodoro with plenty of olive oil and stale Tuscan bread leans on the wine's red fruit. Sausages and peppers off the grill let the juicy middle cool the char. Keep a bottle in the fridge door for the nights dinner is pasta and a can of good tomatoes.
We ship wine to most states with a $100 minimum order for shipping. We don't ship spirits nor beer.
Weather shipping advisory: Orders placed during times of extreme heat or extreme cold will be held for no charge until more favorable weather returns.
Tuscany is one of Italy’s most iconic wine regions, anchored by historic regions like Chianti and Montalcino, where Sangiovese thrives in clay-limestone soils and varying elevations. Chianti Classico produces medium-bodied, savory reds, while Montalcino’s warmer, drier conditions give rise to the powerful and long-lived Brunello. Along the Tuscan coast, regions like Bolgheri emerged in the late 20th century with the rise of Super Tuscans—often blends of international varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grown in marine-influenced soils. While overwhelmingly known for red wines, Tuscany is also home to great classic whites grown in San Gimignano and modern whites often made with French grape varieties.
Italy - Tuscany
Sangiovese is Italy’s most widely planted red grape and the backbone of many of the country’s most renowned wines, including Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino, and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Its name likely derives from the Latin “sanguis Jovis,” or “blood of Jupiter,” hinting at its ancient Roman roots. While native to central Italy, particularly Tuscany, it is also grown in regions like Umbria, Emilia-Romagna, and even scattered sites abroad. Sangiovese is known for its high acidity, firm tannins, and bright red fruit character, often showing notes of sour cherry, dried herbs, and earthy spice. Its structure and versatility make it a natural match for food and a compelling lens through which to explore regional terroirs.
