Montefili
This is a place suspended between sky and vines, situated on a panoramic hillside in the heart of Chianti Classico, where nature, history, and tradition have long been intertwined.
Montefili: when land, people, and vision align
In the world of Tuscan wines, some estates quietly reveal their uniqueness over time.
And today, I’m here to talk about Montefili.
A Tuscan winery—one of many, you might say. True.
But Montefili stands out for three elements that make it unique.
The first is the land itself, situated approximately 400 meters above sea level. 12.5 hectares. Almost entirely Sangiovese, as it should be.
The second is Serena Gusmeri, the winery’s oenologist and agronomist. She is its soul. Her stories are whispered, yet never weak. Always with a smile on her lips and eyes that light up when she talks about her wines.
No, the winery isn’t hers—but to her, it is.
That’s one of the secrets behind these unique wines: they’re made with love, research, and deep knowledge.
The third element? The owners of Montefili. Americans. So in love with Tuscany that they launched the project in 2015.
Why mention American owners?
Because let’s be honest: Serena Gusmeri whispers to her wines and vines, but it was Nicola Marzovilla, Frank Bynum, and Tom Peek Jr. who had the vision.
They chose Serena because they believe in her and trust her.
Montefili and its wines would be just another Tuscan winery if not for these three defining elements. And their wines reflect that.
Elegant, balanced, seductive. Like Serena—powerful, but never over the top.
Some whisper in a way that’s almost deafening.
The winery’s philosophy
A mantra echoed in Serena’s words: to make a wine that reflects its land, you must study. You must preserve the land.
And to do that, you look to the flowers, the insects. Montefili creates a habitat for them, helping them thrive and coexist in harmony. All with one goal: the coexistence of humans and nature will help produce a wine that genuinely reflects its territory.
They’ve reached 60 different flower biotypes at Montefili—an oasis and through the Vite Nova Vine Wellness certification, the soil is analyzed annually to understand its evolution and composition.
Serena describes it as a pyramid: the soil hosts the flowers and vines, which in turn are home to insects, which support the growth and balance of the ecosystem where humans must work.
At Montefili, humans are the minority, and Serena is aware of this.
She steps lightly when discussing the agronomic aspect because she has immense respect for the material she works with.
That alone would be reason enough to visit the winery or buy Montefili wines.
But we can delve even deeper and talk about the wines themselves.
Montefili’s wines
Anfiteatro
The nome Samsung it all: a 50-year-old vineyard shaped like ah amphiteater and planted in 1975 at 540 meters (ca. 1770 feet) above sea level.
Anfiteatro, vintage 2000
Nose that captivates with spicy notes: licorice, tobacco, coffee.
Then comes the red fruit: plum, sour cherry, and strawberry.
A final touch of rhubarb and a subtle hint of leather, barely perceptible.
On the palate, it’s expansive, with great freshness.
A wine I’d call dynamic: still young, lively.
It’s the wine to enjoy with a table full of friends, at a festive dinner. Immediate.
If left in the bottle, it will have much more to say—but it needs time.
Anfiteatro, vintage 2019
Balance. The right maturity.
This wine is like a 30-year-old: still young, spirited, but already clear on who it wants to be.
Sweeter spices, especially cinnamon.
Then the sour cherry, which I adore.
A hint of mint that I find as a common thread, more or less present, across the various wines.
Anfiteatro, vintage 2018
A bold, intense wine.
There was significant extraction here.
Serena admits it: it’s an outsider, and the technique used in that harvest didn’t feel right to her—she’s since abandoned it. An excellent experiment, but it speaks of Montefili’s Sangiovese.
Anfiteatro, vintage 2017
A professional shouldn’t admit to having a favorite anthem, right?
Okay, but this time I’ll say it.
The 2017 is a wine that makes you say “wow.”
A mix of mystery and immediacy. Everything and its opposite.
It’s still young but has the depth of maturity.
It has it all: spicy notes, dried flowers, red fruit.
Balanced, with a surprising power on the palate: how can it be powerful without being… overbearing?
It just is.
Do we always have to share wine?
No, I’d cork this one and keep it all to myself.
An intimate moment with a wine that knows how to move you.
Anfiteatro, vintage 2015
Expansive, infinite.
A waltz of spices, red fruit still present, but with an elegant balsamic note that makes it an evergreen.
Does it still have life ahead of it?
Yes, plenty.
Some facts about Montefili
- 3500 vines per hectare
- Planting density: 3.2 mt x 1 mt
- 12.5 hectares