Spotlight Tasting
Thursday, March 26
7:00 PM to 8:30 PM
Wines by the Glass/Bottle until close

Few places in the wine world carry the weight of history quite like the hills of Chianti Classico, and fewer still carry it as gracefully as Vecchie Terre di Montefili. Join us for an intimate evening in the company of winemaker and agronomist Serena Gusmeri, who will guide us through a comprehensive tasting of Montefili's remarkable portfolio—wines that, in her own words, describe the land, not the hand that created them.

Nestled between valleys in the heart of Chianti Classico, the site itself has roots stretching back to the Etruscans and Romans, and by 986 AD the land was being cultivated by Benedictine monks of Badia a Passignano. The modern winery was established in 1975, and in 2015 it passed into the hands of three American Italophiles—Nicola Marzovilla, Frank Bynum, and Tom Peck Jr.—who enlisted the talent of Serena Gusmeri, a winemaker obsessed with Sangiovese and sustainability.

Serena's diverse experience—from Benevento and Ischia to Franciacorta and even Australia—has led her to develop a terroir-focused, minimally interventionist style devoted to vintage-specific choices and a holistic approach in the vineyard. The estate's soils are distinguished by three different geological matrices—Galestro, Alberese marl, and feldspathic quartz—that impart extraordinary mineral complexity to the wines, and since 1995, Montefili has been part of Panzano's organic district, the first of its kind in Italy, with a commitment to sustainable practices that go well beyond organic farming.

The result is a lineup that spans the full range of what this singular estate can do—from a coastal Tuscan white to classic Chianti Classico, a rarified single-vineyard bottling, and the estate's celebrated Super Tuscans.

Wines Featured

• Val delle Rose Litorale Vermentino Maremma Bianco 2021 — Maremma, Tuscany | We open the evening with a departure from the hills of Chianti—a bright, aromatic Vermentino from the Maremma coast, setting the stage with Tuscany's coastal personality before we head inland to the heart of Sangiovese country.
• Montefili Chianti Classico 2021 — Panzano, Chianti Classico | Fresh and refined, with fine, well-integrated tannins, notes of redcurrant and ripe blueberries followed by hints of clove and spice—balanced and approachable with a persistent finish.
• Montefili Chianti Classico Gran Selezione 2019 — Panzano, Chianti Classico | The highest expression of Chianti Classico the estate produces—made from a selection of the finest Sangiovese grapes, with intense aromas of black cherry, spices, and sweet tobacco, and silky tannins that deliver a deep and long-lasting experience on the palate.
• Montefili Vigna nel Bosco 2019 — Montefioralle, Chianti Classico | A tiny production of only 2,400 bottles, sourced from Montefili's highest vineyard at 1,770 feet in the UGA of Montefioralle. This wine embodies the estate's production philosophy in its purest form—maximum respect for terroir, manual harvesting with vineyard selection, and low-intervention winemaking.
• Montefili Anfiteatro Toscana 2019 — Panzano, Chianti Classico | At the center of Montefili's story is the Anfiteatro vineyard, planted more than 50 years ago. Its ancient Sangiovese vines dig deep into Galestro soils, extracting the essence of the land with each vintage—not merely a wine, but a living witness to decades of care and a philosophy of restraint.
• Montefili Cabernet Sauvignon 'Bruno di Rocca' 2019 — Panzano, Chianti Classico | A historic and iconic Super Tuscan label from Montefili—unique and full of personality, showing that this estate's vision extends beyond Sangiovese to something altogether its own.

An evening with Serena Gusmeri is an evening in conversation with the land itself. Whether you are a devoted Chianti Classico enthusiast or simply drawn to wines with a genuine sense of place, this is a rare chance to hear the story of one of Tuscany's most compelling estates—told by the person who knows it best.