Panzano in Chianti | Château Monty

Panzano in Chianti is a locality (‘frazione’) within the commune of Greve in Chianti in the Chianti Classico DOCG in Tuscany. Panzano is located just off the Via Chiantigiana, in the southern sector of Greve, 2.7 miles (4.3km) from the centre of Greve as the crow flies, sitting ‘exactly astride the ridge which divides the valley of the [river] Greve with the Valley of the [river] Pesa,’ (Alessandro Masnaghetti, 2018). Panzano even has its own sub-zone within a sub-zone, the Conca d’Oro.

Organics: 1990s Panzano had a few certified organic estates such as Casaloste and Le Cinciole (Castello dei Rampolla has never sought certification). In the mid-2000s there was a big change in Panzano via SPEVIS, an experimental station for sustainable viticulture. It helped changed mindsets regarding sustainability and organics, with estates increasingly opting towards certification. | 2018 In November 2018 around 95% of Panzano producers were certified organic accounting for around 80% of its vineyard land.

Geography: Panzano “is situated just off the Via Chiantigiana, which runs north to south through the heart of the DOCG zone, and is perched at one end of a ridge which divides the valley of the Pesa from that of Greve in the east. The majority of the vineyards are planted at an altitude of 350 to 450 metres, which is just about ideal for Sangiovese. The soils have a high proportion of flaky shale, glaestro, and a certain amount of limestone albarese, the two types of terrain most congenial to Chianti’s leading native variety.” Baudains, Richard., A cru for Chianti, Decanter May 2001, p.58-60.

Wineries

Certified organic, Biodynamic practices: Monte Bernardi.

Bibliography

Alessandro Masnaghetti, I Cru di Enogea, Chianti Classico (Alessandro Masnaghetti Editore, third edition Feb 2018).

Bill Nesto MW & Frances Di Savino, Chianti Classico, the Search for Tuscany’s Noblest Wine, (University of California Press, 2016).