Montecivoli is an organic estate winery in Magliano in Toscana in Grosseto province, Tuscany, Italy. It makes Morellino di Scansano DOCG red wines.

Background: The Montecivoli estate was born in1992 after the farm (‘podere’) from which it takes its name was bought by two friends who are the current owners: Decio Oberholtzer and Francesco Prosperetti. The estate had been a podere mezzadrile or sharecropping farm of the Vivarelli Colonna estate under the Vivarelli, a family who transformed the woodlands here to farmland. The farmhouse (‘casa calonica’) is pink, a colour made by adding iron oxide to the mortar. Oberholtzer and Prosperetti converted to the estate to organics, and began reforesting 15 hectares, renovating the old olive grove and in 1999 planting a vineyard. From 2010 the owners started making wine, with collaboration from oenologist Gabriele Gadenz. 

Contact: Agronomist: Leonardo Prosperetti. Olives: Maurizio Castelli. Oenologist: Gabriele Gadenz.

Terroir: 200-350 metres (650-1150 feet) above sea level. Sandy clay loam.

Vineyards: Between 1999 and 2003 7 hectares of vineyards were planted for the Morellino di Scansano DOCG. The land was already certified organic (see below). And that time others were fixated on high vine density irrigated plantings and international varieties. The Montecivoli vines were planted at a low 3,500 vines/ha density and are dry farmed so the vines can really express the differences between each growing season (vintage). Massal selections of biotypes were used when replanting. | 2015 11 hectares of which 10.5ha Sangiovese  (95%) and 0.5ha Alicante Bouschet (5%).

Organic certification: 1992 First year with full organic certification (at this time the land was given to arable crops rather than vines).

Winemaking: Hand picked. Fermentation in stainless steel. After 6 months the wine ages for 6-9 months in French oak barrels which are not new.

Red wines

Morellino di Scansano DOCG: 2010 Debut. The first wine they bottled, previously the grapes were sold to other producers. 95% Sangiovese, 5% Alicante. 5,000 bottles. Nice weight, wild (Vinitaly 2013). Open-knit, very savoury, elegant, nice length, very good (Vinitaly 2015). | 2011 14.5% alc. 7,500 bottles. Quite open, less colour compared to 2012, elegant, creamy, crisp, salty (Vinitaly 2015). Another bottle of the 2011 was showing slight signs of over-maturity, drink up (21 May 2021). | 2012 A more tannic vintage compared to 2013, with more extract. 7,500 bottles. Very good, lots of extract, closed, dense tannin (Vinitaly 2015). | 2013 9 months in 4-5 year-old barrels and 9 months in steel. 12,000 bottles (but not yet bottled). Lovely ripe fruit & tannin (Vinitaly 2015). | 2013 14.5% alc. Bold, direct, balanced, juicy, confident (Feb 2021). | 2014 13.5%. A good effort, plenty of fruit, tannins just a little angular but no lack of fruit or clarity (27 April 2021). |  2016 A solid red with plenty of fruit (Feb 2021). 14.5% alc. | 2017 I opened the bottle. Dark crimson. I took one glass, found it tight, put the cork back, left it for five days for it to soften and open. Then it showed a lovely solid richness, with authentic flavours, a delicious wildness, depth and solidity (17 Feb 2021).

Contact

Montecivoli Soc. Agricola

Loc. Poderone di Montiano

58015 Magliano in Toscana (GR), Italy

Website: www.montecivoli.it