To prove to those unconvinced that Chianti Classico can be among the world's greatest wines, in the same league as Barolo, Bordeaux, or Côte-Rôtie, Giovanna Morganta's Le Boncie wines are some of the first I reach for. Although far smaller and lesser-known than the great Montevertine, and styled differently, these wines are undoubtedly in the same league. If Montervertine is all high-elevation tension and minerality; Le Boncie is gorgeous, soaring fruit that manages to conjure up Burgundy. If your notion of Chianti is a simple acidic red good for weeknight pasta but not much else, Le Boncie is one of the wines that will change that.
Today, we're pleased to offer Le Boncie's flagship bottling "Le Trame," as well as her more affordable "Cinque."
Although I believe Chianti can offer some of the best value in the world of wine, it can be difficult to navigate. It suffers from a deep identity crisis. On the one hand, the stunning views and regal estates have attracted international winemakers intent on producing exorbitantly expensive bottles from Bordeaux varieties. On the other, even families with centuries-long histories in the region seem content to make acceptable but unexciting wines in vast quantities. So when someone like Giovanna Morganti, who marries global vision with a deep respect for tradition, comes along, we get the rare opportunity to see what Chianti is capable of.
Giovanna's father was an influential enologist in the region, and she followed in his footsteps until he passed along a few hectares of prime land in the village of Castelnuovo Berardenga. There, Giovanna planted Sangiovese, of course, along with local peculiarities like Foglia Tonda and Mammolo. She also resurrected the old vine training system known as "alberello," in which vines are kept very small and yields very low (see picture above). This meticulous farming, paired with gentle winemaking, is certainly the reason her wines show off such a seductive, silken fruit profile.
We have two wines on offer from Giovanna. The first is Giovanna's flagship wine, "Le Trame" 2017. Mostly Sangiovese with splashes of the other indigenous varieties, the wine is fermented in open-top casks with indigenous yeast and only a touch of sulfur. This is simply some of the purest, most beautiful wine ever to come from Chianti, soaring fruit underpinned by deep minerality and classically firm Sangiovese structure.
Also available is Giovanna's second wine, "Cinque" 2018, a Sangiovese-led blend of five grapes from her home estate and a newly acquired vineyard. This is fermented in cement and stainless steel and aged one year less than "Le Trame." Softer and fuller than "Le Trame," it nonetheless captures Giovanna's pure fruit profile, and is one of the best weeknight reds I can think of.
To order, please click here. Wines arrive Friday of next week. Shipping and curbside pickup available as usual!
1) Le Boncie Toscana Rosso "Cinque" 2018 750ml
Sale Price: $31.99/btl!! BUY NOW
Buy any six bottles and automatically get 10% off!!
Buy any twelve bottles and automatically get 15% off!
Importer Neal Rosenthal: "The little brother/sister of “Le Trame” from Podere Le Boncie. Originally this wine was sold only at the winery and was essentially created from fruit of younger vines. Recently, Giovanna Morganti acquired access to a vineyard 3 kilometers up the road from their house in San Felice, a hamlet of Castelnuovo Berardenga but just outside the Chianti Classico zone. With this additional fruit, the “Il Cinque” has taken on a more serious tone and, starting with the 2012 vintage, we have purchased a substantial portion of the production. The wine’s name “Cinque” recognizes the original composition of the wine, namely five grape types classic to the production of the finest Chianti Classico: principally Sangiovese with Colorino, Mammolo, Fogliatonda and Ciliegiolo completing the quintet. Recently, the wine is no longer composed strictly of the 5 grapes anymore, but Giovanna says the name also refers to the relative precociousness of the wine, thus a wine to “keep at hand” [5 fingers]. Cinque is perhaps less formidably structured than the Le Trame but it is no less noble, carrying its mantle of the particular terroir borne of the hills surrounding Castelnuovo Berardenga, wines of vigor and cut that chant the song of Sangiovese."
2) Le Boncie Toscana Rosso "Le Trame" 2017 750ml
Sale Price: $51.99/btl!! BUY NOW
Buy any six bottles and automatically get 10% off!!
Buy any twelve bottles and automatically get 15% off!Importer Neal Rosenthal: "The beauty of Sangiovese is revealed here in its most pure form, unencumbered by manipulation of the wine during vinification and elevage and without exposure to new oak. The vineyard lies at an altitude of 300-350 meters; the average vine age is 15 years. The essential character of this wine can best be described as “ferociously elegant”. But, what appears to be an oxymoron is, in fact, the reality. There is a gracefulness to this wine, an impeccable balance, that belies the intense concentration reflected in its vigorous, ripe tannins. Annual production is approximately 1000 cases"
93pts, Antonio Galloni (Previous vintage): "The 2016 Le Trame is a wine of striking translucent energy and nuance. Lifted aromatics and silky tannins let the purity of the Sangiovese fruit come through beautifully. Bright acids and a sense of energy add to the wine's many virtues. The 2016 is simply stellar, that's all there is to it."
To order, please click here. Wines arrive Friday of next week. Shipping and curbside pickup available as usual! |
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