Le Boncie is one of the crown jewels in Chianti Classico. Here, in this small corner in Castelnuovo Berardenga, proprietors Giovanna Morganti and Giorgio Serao craft some of the most unique wines in the region, eschewing the conventional constructs in favor of their own deeply personal choices. Fifteen years ago, Morgante began bottling Le Trame, her top wine (and later Chiesamonti), as IGT rather than Chianti Classico because she did not agree with regulations. More recently, she abandoned biodynamic preparations, choosing instead to follow a path somewhere between organic and biodynamic farming she feels suits her better.

Le Trame and Chiesamonti are vinified in small upright oak casks with natural ferments. Malolactic fermentation happens quickly these days because of relatively low malics in the grapes. Time on skins is 24-25 days. Most of the adjustments from year to year are done with changes in punchdowns, pumpovers and how casks are covered — all manual operations here — rather than through a modification of time on skins. Some vintages, those where the skins allow, see extended submerged cap maceration.

Unlike anything else in the Chianti Classico zone, Le Boncie have been one of my favorite new additions to the Chianti offerings from the region over the last 10 years.  I walked by the vineyard last September (tried to make an appointment, but they were traveling) and snapped those photos above.  As you can see from the vineyard photo above and the very leafy canopy, viticulture here is  LOT different than anyone else in Chianti Classico zone.  In fact, with all of proprietor and winemaker Giovanna Morganti's wines they are Toscana IGT and not Chianti Classico, even though she is in the heart of Berardenga in Chianti Classico.  For me these are maybe the best wines after Montevertine in the zone.