The Vineyards

The Fiammae vineyard lies to the right of the main body of the Marchesi Gondi vineyards in the Sottomonte district, with a south to south-westerly aspect. It was replanted in 1998 with Sangiovese alone, at 4,000 vines per hectare, spurred cordon trained. The vineyard rests on a framework of galestro, calcareous sediment and clay, as does the whole of the Chianti Rufina territory.

It differs markedly from the estate's other Sangiovese plantings, not so much for the clone used, which is always the loose-clustered one, but because the steeper, better drained ground yields a Sangiovese at once virile and feminine in character.

The name has its roots in the emblem of the Banco Gondi, a diamond point wreathed in flames, a symbol of transparency, strength, solidity and passion. In this vineyard the Sangiovese attains floral notes of violet together with fruited notes of cherry, strawberry and raspberry.

The Poggio Diamante vineyard lies at the centre, in the very heart of the main body of the Marchesi Gondi vineyards in the Sottomonte district, with a south to south-westerly aspect. It was replanted in 2000 with Sangiovese alone, at 4,000 vines per hectare, spurred cordon trained. Its name comes from its shape, which recalls a diamond point, its many facets allowing the Sangiovese to attain the greatest elegance.

First planted in the mid-nineteenth century by the great-great-grandmother of the present owners, this vineyard has been distinguished across the centuries for the excellence and elegance of its Sangiovese. That ancestor of ours, Marie Carmes de Labrugiére, a Frenchwoman left a widow, came from Châteauneuf-du-Pape bringing French know-how to the estate. She began to make a Chianti in the Burgundian style which won a series of awards at the Paris Exposition of 1889, the year the Eiffel Tower was built.

In this vineyard the Sangiovese attains floral notes of red rose and violet together with fruited notes of cherry and spice. A singular wine of exceptional longevity. Indeed the vineyard rests on a framework of galestro, calcareous sediment and clay, which gives great tannins and freshness, allowing the wine to age well beyond twenty-five years.

This Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard lies within the main body of the Marchesi Gondi vineyards in the Sottomonte district, with a south to south-westerly aspect. One part was regrafted in 1985 at 3,000 vines per hectare, arched cane trained, and one part planted in 2003 at 4,000 vines per hectare, spurred cordon trained. It bears the distinctive terroir of Chianti Rufina, a soil rich in minerals, galestro, calcareous sediment and clay. In this parcel the skeleton of the soil is composed almost entirely of galestro, and for this reason it is called “Pietra Viva”, living stone. Here the galestro rocks, white and grey in colour, seem to be born and to grow day after day. Owing to these characteristics the Cabernet Sauvignon has taken on a more territorial taste, setting aside some of its vegetal notes to acquire a more austere and incisive structure. Here notes of black fruit come to the fore, such as blackberry and blueberry juice, along with sweet spices such as cardamom and cinnamon. The name of the vineyard is also a historical reference: the wife of Antonio Gondi, aide to Caterina de' Medici, was named Marie Catherine de Piervive.