Chianti Montalbano DOCG is one of the red wine-only sub-regions within the wider Chianti DOCG. West of Florence (‘Firenze’) its production zone straddles the provinces of Pistoia (PT) and Florence (FI) across the ten communes listed below.
Vineyards: 500ha from 180 producers.
Communes: Capraia e Limite (FI). | Carmignano (FI). | Cerreto Guidi (FI). | Lamporecchio (PT). | Larciano (PT). | Monsummano Terme (PT). | Pistoia (PT). | Poggio a Caiano (FI). | Quarrata (PT). | Serravalle Pistoiese (PT). | Vinci (FI).
Montalbano production zone: This area is also administratively included in part in the province of Pistoia and in part in that of Florence. Starting with the description of the boundaries on the part belonging to the province of Pistoia, we take as the starting point the extreme eastern limit represented by the point that corresponds to the Fosso di Colecchio crossroads with the provincial limit between the province of Pistoia and the province of Florence. The border line between the two areas of Montalbano follows the border between the two provinces, up to the point that corresponds to the intersection of this provincial limit with the provincial road that leads from Lamporecchio to Cerreto Guidi.
From this point the border goes up the provincial road mentioned, towards Lamporecchio, up to the intersection, on its left, with the road that leads to the hamlet of Castel Martini in the municipality of Larciano. The border on this road runs up to the crossroads, where there is a stone road sign, with the road called “Via della Colonna” which leads to S. Rocco di Larciano.
From S. Rocco the border continues along the road called “Via Biccimurri” to the point that corresponds to the crossroads with the road that from Cecina in the municipality of Larciano goes to the Castel Martini also in Larciano. From the crossroads indicated, the border turns right and continues on the road called “Cecinese” up to the crossroads with the road that leads to the locality “Pozzarello”, a hamlet of the municipality of Monsummano; it cuts the road that leads from Montevettolini to Cintolese, a hamlet in the municipality of Monsummano, and continues to the place called “Vergine del Pino”, which indicates the crossroads with the provincial road of Monsummano.
From this point, the border line turns north-east following the course of the Rio della Grotta first, up to the Grotta di Monsummano. From here the stream goes up to an altitude of 227, where it meets the cart track which at an altitude of 382 leads to an altitude of 493 (Ca ‘Belvedere); from here for a virtual line passing through the Villa delle Grazie it reaches an altitude of 304, where it meets a carriage road, which passes from an altitude of 226 and, for Villa Montegattoli (altitude 228), meets the administrative border between the municipality of Serravalle and that of Pistoia. Always following this border as well as the Stella stream, you reach the place called “Bridge over the Stella stream in Valenzatico”. Then, from the Valenzatico Bridge, the border continues along the street called “Vecchia Fiorentino” up to the “Bridge over the Rio di Campano”. Then it continues along the Campano stream and the Colecchio ditch up to the border of the Province at the locality called “Botte sotto il Rio Barberoni”, that is to the east point mentioned in the beginning and which closes the perimeter of the Montalbano area belonging to the province of Pistoia.Proceeding to the description of the boundary of the part included in the province of Florence, the extreme southern limit constituted by the town of Capraia is taken as the starting point. From here the border follows the carriage road for Limite up to this town, passing through Osteria Morona, Castellina, La Pieve. From the limit along the carriageway you pass from S. Martino, “Il Colle” (altitude 84), Carboncino, meeting at an altitude of 87 and near the cemetery, the carriage road that comes from Collegonzi. Along the latter, passing through “Le Piagge” (altitude 82), you reach Villa degli Inglesi and meet the road that crosses the Ansano river into the carriage road that leads to S. Ansano. Then take this rolling stock and passing through Casa Fabbrica, Casa Lucardi, under Villa Martelli, you reach the other carriage road that leads to Vinci. Then along the roadway that passes at an altitude of 72, for Casa Mazzantina, you will find the provincial border between Florence and Pistoia near Casa Barzi.Follow the border between the two provinces from Ca ‘Barzi to Ca’ Barberoni. From here the carriageway enters the carriageway at Casa Vannucci, and following this passing through the “Palazzina”, you reach Seano and then Ponte Rosso, Montecchio Vecchio, Podere di Casale di Sopra, “Le Croci”, Petraia (altitude 105 ) and to the tabernacle located at the crossroads of Villamagna. Following the branch on the right, and passing under the Castellaccio, cross Borro di Montiloni, passing by Casa Attucci, Calcinaia, Torre di Calcinaia, Podere La Consuma, “Le Corti”, Comeana and then descending into the Ombrone stream. We descend the course of the stream reaching its outlet in the Arno river.The south-eastern boundary of the area is marked by the course of the Arno, which, following the Gonfolina Lock, reaches Capraia, closing the perimeter of the area there.
Vineyards: 500ha.
Terroir: The vineyards lie in the high Montalbano hills on the northern side of the Arno, down river from Florence, west of (and overlooking) that city, and south of Pistoia, at the centre of which is the Carmignano DOCG zone (David Gleave: 1989, p.99). Carmignano (in the province of Pistoia) was part of the Chianti Montalbano zone until 1975 when it broke away to form its own Barco Reale di Carmignano DOCG denomination.
The Montalbano region–dotted by medieval Medici villas and more modern (cultivated plant) nurseries–is named after the 600-metre high peak, Monte Albano, to the west of the plain uniting Pistoia and Prato with Florence. Monte Albano was contested by Florence, Pistoia and Prato in medieval times. The area was once known for its straw, used to cover Chianti bottles. Pistoia’s historic relationship with Florence was sometimes tense–building work on Pistoia’s Palazza del Comune was suspended more than once due to conflicts with Florence.
By the 16th-century, relations had settled. Florentine families built villas in the area. Near Quarrata is the Medici Villa della Màgia, restructured by Bernardo Buontalenti. Giulio Rospigliosi (Pope Clement IX) was a Pistoia native who in 1669 ordered construction, to plans by Bernini, of the villa that still bears his family name and it one of the showiest aristocratic homes of the time.
Wine style: Historically Chianti Colli Montalbano is seen to produce soft, round, scented wines for easy drinking, wines which David Gleave MW (‘Chianti & Nothing But’, Decanter Tuscany Supplement 1991 p.26) says tend ‘toward the lighter style, and lack the cedary, leafy elegance that the Cabernet lends to Carmignano.’
Wineries
No certification: Cantine Bonnachi. | Tenute Le Farnete.
Website: www.consorziovinochianti.it/?lang=en
Bibliography
David Gleave, ‘The Wines of Italy‘ (Salamander Books, London, 1989), p.99.
Burton Anderson, The Wine Atlas of Italy (Mitchell Beazley, 1990), p.203.