Massimo Romeo (b. 1956) is a certified organic estate wine-grower in the Montepulciano region of Tuscany. His estate comprises three landholdings on either side of Montepulciano, one given to vines called Podere Corsica, another given to olives called Podere Totona, and one not in yet production in 2020, Massimo told me (Anteprima 2020). Red wines are made under the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG and 1 hectare (2.47 acres) is for Rosso di Montepulciano DOC.

Vineyards & olive groves

– Podere Corsica is located in Località Nottola, Montepulciano. It lies at 330 metres (1,083 feet) and has 6 hectares (14.8 acres) of vineyard of which 4.5 hectares (11.1 acres) are Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and 1 hectare (2.47 acres) is for Rosso di Montepulciano. Overall the vineyards are 90% Sangiovese with 5% each Colorino del Valdarno (ripens 14 days after Sangiovese) and Mammolo. There is also a bit of Merlot. Podere Corsica has five plots: Vigna al Piano, a plateau on the top of a hill, Vigna al Fosso, Vigne dei Mandorli I and II, and Vigna di Querceritta. The site is well exposed to the sun, and the soils have a gravel component. In 2019 the oldest vines dated to 1993.

– Podere Totona: Podere Totona lies at 560 metres (1,840 feet) and, Massimo says, is perfect for the olives he grows there.

– Poderuccio: In 1989 Romeo sold an 80 hectare (197 acre) landholding (Azienda Agricola Poderuccio) to the Triacca family (who renamed it Fattoria Santavenere). At the time Poderuccio comprised 6 hectares (14.8 acres) of vines, 4 hectares (9.88 acres) of olives, a large area for cereals and other field crops, plus woodland. “It was a big estate. I wanted something smaller. I already had the small Podere Corsica estate at Nottola and so focussed on that,” Massimo told me in 2017.

Organic certification: Romeo always farmed organically and finally decided to get officially certified as such. | 2008 First vintage with full organic certification for all crops.

Winemaking: Allier oak barrels (225-litre) for the Rosso, 25-30hl oak vats from Gamba. From  the 1999 vintage Massimo hired consultant oenologist Andrea Mazzoni to spruce up the wines.

Red wines

Eretico: ‘Eretico’ is Italian for heretic. Toscana Rosso. Made with Merlot.

Rosso di Montepulciano DOC: 2011 90% Sangiovese, 10% Colorino and Mammolo. Nice old-viney mid-weight fruit, but wild, open but will age (Anteprima 2014). | 2015 Clear, bright old style with depth (Anteprima 2017). | 2017 14% alc. Mix of some lovely cherry fruit notes with some Brettanomyces-like notes. The palate showed some pretty notes on the palate too (Anteprima 2019). | 2018 7,000 bottles. 13.5% alc. Aged in old Allier 225-litre barrels. Lovely bright crimson. Old school–old vine richness, engaging (Anteprima 2020).

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG: 2011 90% Sangiovese, 10% Colorino del Valdarno and Mammolo. | 2014 Delicious tannin (Anteprima 2017). | 2015 Rather bretty thin fruit (Anteprima 2018). | 2016 100% stainless steel. Well made, sapid, nice fruit, a bit wild (Anteprima 2018). Nice fruit and weight (Anteprima 2019).

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG Riserva, Riserva dei Mandorli: 2001 90% Sangiovese, 5% Colorino and Mammolo. Tonneaux and small barrels. 3,133 bottles. Old style tannin, and more Brunello-like but has a lot of energy and is a very good old style wine with black fruit and importantly good concentration (at the consorzio 8th March 2005). | 2007 Rich, smoky, deep, traditional style, get both old wood and engaging sweetness, so could drink this or age it to see where it goes (Anteprima 2014). | 2012 14%. Lovely texture, soft rolling tannins (Anteprima 2018). | 2013 14% alc. Dense, plenty of time ahead (Anteprima 2020).

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG Riserva, Lipitiresco: First made in 1988. | 2012 Rather bretty, thin fruit (Anteprima 2018).

Vin Santo

Vin Santo di Montepulciano DOC | 60% Malvasia, 30% Pulcinculo (Grechetto), 10% Trebbiano from Vigna al Piano and Vigna al Fosso on the Podere Corsica farm.

Contact

Massimo Romeo

Fraz Gracciano di Montepulciano

Loc. Nottola, Podere Corsica, 25

53045 Montepulciano (SI = Siena), Italy

Tel+39 0578.708599