Montenidoli
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Country of Origin: Italy
Location: San Gimignano
People: Elisabetta Fagiuoli, Owner & Winemaker
Viticulture: Certified Organic
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Without hesitation, Montenidoli stands among the finest wine estates in the historic Tuscan town of San Gimignano. At its heart is the remarkable and enthralling Elisabetta Fagiuoli, who has guided the estate since 1965 as viticulturist, winemaker, and guardian of its soul. In 2015, she was honored as “Vigneronne d’Italia” by FIVI (the Italian Federation of Independent Vignerons), a recognition of her singular role in elevating Vernaccia di San Gimignano to new heights of quality. Today, Elisabetta continues to produce some of Tuscany’s most distinctive and age-worthy wines, now from vines more than 50 years old.
Montenidoli, meaning “the mountain of the little nests,” encompasses 24 hectares of vineyards surrounded by 200 hectares of untouched woodland and olive groves. Its picturesque slopes have drawn farmers for centuries: first the Etruscans, then the Romans, and later the Knights Templar. In 1965, Elisabetta and her late partner Sergio Muratori settled here and gave new life to this treasured estate.
Elisabetta’s connection to the land runs deep. Her family has cultivated vines and olive trees in Custozza, near Verona, since the 1700s. Carrying forward that legacy, she has always chosen to honor the land by farming with exclusively organic methods. Only minimal sulfur and copper are used, and only when absolutely necessary. Today, her vineyards are certified organic by ICEA (Istituto per la Certificazione Etica e Ambientale), underscoring her lifelong commitment to sustainability and respect for nature.
Minimal intervention in the cellar allows the Montenidoli terroir to shine. Bright with vigor, Montenidoli’s whites can age for years, and the reds are equally long-lived. Quaternary soils, on slopes where calcareous sediments left by the Ligurian Sea are found, enhance and enrich the bouquets of the white wines. Triassic soils above, the oldest in Tuscany and the only Triassic land planted to vine, provide profound mineral depth to the reds.
Media Links
Grape Collective: The Soul of Chianti: Elisabetta Fagiuoli of Montenidoli
I'll Drink to That!: Episode 223 - Elisabetta Fagiuoli
Down to Earth Wines: Chianti's Heart of Gold - Muratori, Montenidoli and Vernaccia
Vinography: Montenidoli, San Gimignano, Tuscany