Silvio Messana was born to a family of fruit and nut farmers in Tunisia, very close to the Libyan border. Fleeing political unrest, Silvio's family fled north to Italy where they established a small grape farm in the village of San Casciano Val Di Pesa, in the heart of Chianti Classico in the early 1960s. On this small plot of limestone and clay, Silvio's father planted Sangiovese, Canaiolo and Colorino—traditional varieties used in Chianti. Silvio still works the vines as his father did: no advanced technology or chemicals, no winemaking tricks, and no desire to build an expensive luxury brand. He simply wants to make a small amount of picture-perfect, rustic, old school wine that drinks far beyond its surprisingly modest price tag. If you've ever had mature Chianti from the 70s and 80s, you'll know what I mean—today there isn't much wine made in this region that possesses this degree of purity and balance. This is memorable stuff.
The grapes Silvio harvests for his Chianti Classico bottling comes from the top of his hillside vineyard which has the shallowest soil and possesses the highest concentration of limestone. Silvio’s vines are certified organic and he employs biodynamic principles as well. All fermentations occur naturally with no synthetic yeasts and the wines see no new oak; only larger, mature barrels. The result is a classic expression of Chianti and one of the most dependable sources in the region for outstanding quality each vintage.
The 2013 Montesecondo Chianti Classico is on fire! It has a dark ruby core moving to orange and light garnet reflections on the rim. On the nose the wine is bright and full of energy, showing aromas of dried red cherries, fresh red plum, dried rose petals, leather, dried porcini and a faint hint of a the crumbling limestone in this vineyard. The palate is medium bodied and possesses a perfect balance that dances between plush, layered tannins and lip smacking acidity—it’s a wine that whets the appetite while becoming more deeply satisfying with every sip. The palate is driven by red currant, tart cherries, dried citrus peel, wild herbs, and red tobacco. This 2013 vintage is delicious right from the bottle so there is no need to decant. Simply serve in at 60 degrees—and while Chianti is often served in Bordeaux stems, I always prefer to showcase Montesecondo’s delicate aromas in a large Burgundy stem. I also like to stress that traditional Chianti is a phenomenal steak wine. This bottle will sing alongside a giant Porterhouse steak, served rare. The wine’s ample tannins and the steak’s fatty edges balance out one another, leaving a pure expression of the wine’s terroir and the meat’s flavor in perfect harmony. Finally, as with all great Chianti Classicos, this wine will improve markedly over the next decade so don’t hesitate to set some aside. Montesecondo makes wines built for the long haul and especially at this modest price, this wine will prove to be a wise investment.
