La Magia is an organic estate winery in the Montalcino region of Tuscany, Italy. La Magia was founded in 1974, when its original owners planted the vineyard. In 1979 the founder owners sold to Harald Schwarz and his wife Gabriella Zeitler, and Harald Schwarz’s father. They left Merano in their native Südtirol Alto Adige to settle here. At that time, in Montalcino, there were around 150 grape growers, but only 20 were bottling their own wine. The Schwarz family knew nothing about winemaking, but loved Montalcino as a place and saw its only partially tapped potential for Brunello. Fabian Schwarz told me ‘Brunello already was a niche wine in Italy, but not just Italy. It was also a niche internationally. In the big wine markets at that time, like the UK market, or the German market, Brunello was considered one of the quality wines of Italy. There was Brunello, Barolo, and Amarone. That was it. Chianti was not, at that time, considered a quality wine.’
Fabian Schwarz: Harald and Gabriella’s son Fabian Schwarz started working at La Magia in 2005 and took full charge in 2011. His wife is Bianca.
Staff: From 2004-2008 Roberto Cipresso consulted. Fabian studied in the Südtirol, becoming a viticulture and winemaking graduate of the Istituto Agrario di San Michele all’Adige, now the Edmund Mach Foundation.
The name: La Magia–which can also be written La Màgia–is situated on an old paved Roman road dating back to the Etruscan era. The name is a derivation of ‘magione’, a Tuscan rendition of the French ‘maison’, a resting place for farmers and pilgrims, evolved from a Tuscan rendition of the French ‘maison’, since the building was originally a resting place for wayfarers and pilgrims visiting the nearby Sant’Antimo abbey.
Vineyards: The La Magia property covers a total of 52ha (130 acres), of which 15 hectares (37 acres) are Sangiovese in a single plot. All the vines are classified as Brunello di Montalcino DOCG. In the middle of La Magia’s 52 hectares, lies a jewel– a 15 hectare single parcel of 40 year old Sangiovese vines that is all registered as Brunello. From a considerable distance, a magnificent cherry tree identifies the cru, ‘Ciliegio’. Vine spacing is 3,00m x 1,00m.
The vineyard is on the central – south-east side of Montalcino overlooking the Sant’Antimo abbey from the north and faces south towards Mount Amiata. 400 – 450m above sea level and facing southeas. 20 cm stony sand over clay subsoil. The sandy soil contains good levels of lime and clay which aids water retention in dry periods. The volcanic influence contributes minerality. The altitude of between 400-450 metres (1,312–1,476 feet) means the vineyard is not subject to spring frosts (eg. in 2017) and gets a wide day-night temperature excursion (good for aromas, and wines with moderate rather then super deep colours). The site is sloping, which allows constant air-flow and ventilation, and gets sunlight all day long. The top soil comprises 20 centimetres of very stony soil, mixed with lime and clay, the latter helping to retain moisture in the subsoil and allows nutrient uptake even during periods of drought, and a bit of sand. Underneath is galestro and clay.
‘La Magia vineyard is one unique plot, still mostly from 1974. The tree in the middle is the Ciliegio-Cherry tree, the one from which the vineyard name came from. In this unique plot actually there are different vineyards that are all managed separately: (Looking downwards from the top of the vineyard Vigna Nuova is on the left, Ciliegio Alto and Ciliegio Bassa are in front of you and Vigna Casisano is on the right,’ Lisa Tinturini told me (30 Sept 2021).
Mount Amiata’s influence: Monte Amiata Fabian Schwarz told me ‘Mount Amiata does not have big effect on the air temperature, which is so important, but on the winds. We have a lot of air and breezes drawn in from the Mediterranean to the west by the mountain, so we are well-ventilated. Obviously Montalcino is high, so the good thing is that in summer, or during the maturation period, you have big differences between night and day. Also you can have very hot, sunny days during the summer, and it is possible to sleep without air conditioning in Montalcino. During those conditions it’s perfect weather. Night-day temperature differences greatly affect the maturation of the phenolic substances which are inside the grapes. What we are extracting from the grapes, on the skins, it’s very good phenolic stuff. Very good colors, very good tannins which are complex, so the wines have a good structure, good tannins, smooth tannins. That’s why Sangiovese in Montalcino is unique. It’s one aspect why I find Montalcino gives the best expression of Sangiovese.’
Rootstock: 110R is now used for replanting. Older vines are on 5BB Kober.
Organic certification: 2012 Full organic certification from the 2012 vintage. | 2018 Still certified organic. Now with biodynamic certification too.
Sustainability: By the end of the 1980s sustainable energy had been introduced: initially with solar panels for hot water, then – from 2008 – with a photo-voltaic system to make the cellar fully self-sufficient in energy. .
Winery: Harald Schwarz designed the winery, giving it an octagonal shape to make it easier to reach the vats (many of which are wooden). A photovoltaic system was installed 2008. It generates 20kw, making the cellar self-sufficient in electrical power.
Winemaking: The wines ferment 70% in stainless steel, 30% in wooden vats. Fabian likes to keep a large percentage of whole berries, which gives wines with perfume and to achieve this he favours more gentle and thus longer macerations [leaving the young wine on the grape skins] of around 45 days for Brunello (less for Rosso). Fermentation can go up to 30-32 degrees. MLF occurs directly after alcoholic fermentation, which avoids issues with acetic acid bacteria. The La Magia Brunello ages three years in 500 litre French ‘tonneaux’.
Pink wines
Rosato Eco: Bled style. Juice cold soaked on skins then run off for fermentation.
Red wines
Rosso di Montalcino DOC, La Magia: 2011 At the consorzio with Ian d’Agata Tuesday 28th May 2013: Bright, medium+ crimson. Broad nose, youthful; full, quite extracted fruit over savoury tannins; mint and cranberry freshness at the end over firm tannins that have enough fruity flesh. Will be interesting to see how this ages. | 2012 15,000 bottles. 9 months in wood: 60% in tonneaux and 40% in 40-60hl botti. Very nice clear fruit, savoury ripe red fruit (Anteprima 2014). | 2013 25,000 bottles. Palid colour, a bit reduced but once open really delicious and delicate fruit, very individual style (Anteprima 2015). | 2014 Cold soak for 3-4 days for to accentuate aromas. Ferments at 25ºC for 2-3 weeks like “an infusion.” 6m in old barrels. Distinctive, savoury and refreshing (Anteprima 2016).
Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, La Magia | About 40,000 bottles. 30m in 500 litre barrels. The “selection” range has artists’ labels each year. | 2009 24,000 bottles. Wild, quite feminine, bit too much oak toffee in there (Anteprima 2014). | 2009 14.5%. L1/14. Decent and bright and well weighted although the tannins are a little fluffy at the Consorzio Tues 27th May 2014 with Ian d’Agata and others. L1/14 Bottle tried at Armando’s on Sergio’s 2nd birthday party in Oct 2016: very youthful, quite a bit of new oak. Took a couple of days to open and soften but still very young. | 2010 30,00 bottles. Very interesting in terms of weight, sweet fruit but very light yet intense cherries, really good length too, bright and creamy (Anteprima 2015). | 2011 Old vines. 36m in 500-litre tonneaux of which 33% new. Lovely wild fruit, ripe and delicate (Anteprima 2016).
Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Ciliego: 2011 500 bottles. From the oldest vines in the Ciliegio vineyard, above). Natural low yield. Poor soil. Barrel selection. Lovely bright colour, outstanding fruit and depth and Sangiovese-ness (Anteprima 2016). | 2012 512 bottles. Very nice ripeness of fruit, really clear, bright, refreshing, savoury (Anteprima 2017). | 2021 ‘The grapes are healthy and fully ripe but not very big so Fabian was a little worried about the yield but now It seems ok,’ Lisa Tinturini told me (email 30 Sept 2021.)
Brunello di Montalcino DOCG Riserva, La Magia: 2007 100% Sangiovese.Vinification in large oak casks. 30 days of maceration on the skins. 48 months in 500 litre French new oak barrels Bottled March 2012. 2.100 bottles. 14.6% alc. | 2010 Quite tight red fruit, very fruity, delicate & deep, very integrated oak too (Anteprima 2016).
Other products: Grappa di Brunello di Montalcino. | Extra virgin olive oil.
Contact
Azienda Agricola La Magia
Località La Magia, 53
53024 Montalcino (SI), Italy
Tel+39 0577.835667 | Website: www.fattorialamagia.it