Vecchie Terre di Montefili

The land beneath Vecchie Terre di Montefili has a documented viticultural history stretching back to the Benedictine monks of Badia a Passignano, who farmed the site until 1260. Modern winemaking arrived in 1975 when Roccaldo Acuti, a textile entrepreneur born in 1933, planted the Anfiteatro vineyard with Sangiovese, beginning the estate's contemporary chapter during the era that would give rise to the Super Tuscan movement. The Acuti family continued developing the property through the 1980s and 1990s, adding Vigna Vecchia in 1981 and a Chianti Classico block around 1996. The estate joined the Panzano Bio-District, Italy's first organic district, in 1995, and formally converted to organic farming in 2000, reflecting a long-standing commitment to low-intervention agriculture that preceded the current ownership.

• Benedictine monks of Badia a Passignano farmed the site until 1260, giving the estate its name 'Vecchie Terre' (old lands)
• Anfiteatro vineyard planted 1975 by Roccaldo Acuti; 2025 marks its 50th anniversary
• Vigna Vecchia planted 1981; youngest estate block planted approximately 1996
• Member of Panzano Bio-District since 1995, Italy's first organic district; official organic conversion completed 2000

In 2015, three American partners, Nicola Marzovilla, Frank Bynum, and Tom Peck Jr., acquired Vecchie Terre di Montefili from the Acuti family, representing a shift from family succession to investor stewardship rather than generational inheritance. The transition coincided with the arrival of Serena Gusmeri as oenologist and agronomist, a role she has held since approximately 2014-2015. Gusmeri is the only female winemaker among the 26 wineries in Panzano, and her dual expertise in enology and agronomy has shaped both the winemaking and the estate's ongoing scientific work. In 2024, the estate relaunched the Bruno di Rocca Super Tuscan at Vinitaly alongside multiple new vintage releases, and in January 2026 Vecchie Terre di Montefili was added to the Volio Imports portfolio, strengthening its presence in the American market.

• Acquired in 2015 by Nicola Marzovilla, Frank Bynum, and Tom Peck Jr., none of whom are related to the founding Acuti family
• Serena Gusmeri joined as oenologist and agronomist around 2014-2015, the sole female winemaker among Panzano's 26 producers
• 2024 Vinitaly presentation included Chianti Classico 2020, Gran Selezione 2019, Vigna nel Bosco 2019, Vigna Vecchia 2019, and the relaunched Bruno di Rocca 2016
• Added to Volio Imports US distribution portfolio in January 2026

Vecchie Terre di Montefili farms 12.5 hectares spread across five distinct blocks, all situated at high elevation between 480 and 550 metres, placing the estate among the highest in all of Chianti Classico. The holdings straddle two UGAs: Panzano, home to the flagship Anfiteatro vineyard, and Montefioralle, where the highest block, Vigna nel Bosco, sits at approximately 540 metres. Soils across the estate are primarily galestro (the friable schist-rich marl typical of Chianti Classico), with Vigna Vecchia also containing quartz, and the youngest Chianti Classico block showing a mix of galestro and clay. Approximately 1.4 hectares are planted to Cabernet Sauvignon for the Bruno di Rocca blend, while the remaining plantings are dedicated to Sangiovese. Each hectare is vinified separately, enabling precise expression of each site's distinct character.

• Anfiteatro: 100% Sangiovese, planted 1975, galestro soils, Panzano UGA; yields the estate's signature single-vineyard IGT
• Vigna Vecchia: planted 1981, galestro and quartz soils; source of Chianti Classico Gran Selezione
• Vigna nel Bosco: highest block at approximately 540m, Montefioralle UGA; first vintage released was 2019
• Approximately 1.4 hectares of Cabernet Sauvignon planted for Bruno di Rocca; youngest block planted around 1996 on galestro and clay

The winemaking philosophy at Vecchie Terre di Montefili centers on minimal intervention and transparency of terroir, with each hectare vinified separately to preserve the identity of individual plots. Fermentations are spontaneous, relying on ambient yeasts rather than inoculated strains, and aging is carried out in medium-to-large neutral oak vessels, tonneaux and botti, rather than new barriques. The Anfiteatro IGT spends 28 months in tonneaux before release, while Chianti Classico Gran Selezione wines require a minimum of 30 months aging. In an unusual commitment to quality control, the estate holds back 50% of production for extended cellaring, evaluating wines over time to determine their optimal drinking windows before release or communication to the market. Serena Gusmeri has also led a multi-year soil biodiversity research initiative with Vitenova since 2018, using scientific mapping to inform site-specific viticultural decisions.

• Spontaneous fermentation with ambient yeasts used across all wines; no inoculated commercial yeasts
• Neutral oak tonneaux and botti used for aging; no new barriques; Anfiteatro aged 28 months in tonneaux
• 50% of annual production held back for extended cellaring to determine optimal drinking windows
• Soil biodiversity research project with Vitenova ongoing since 2018; Diversity Ark certification received 2022

Vecchie Terre di Montefili occupies a specific and meaningful place in the Chianti Classico landscape: a high-altitude estate with 50-year-old Sangiovese vines, a genuine commitment to organic and biodiverse farming, and a winemaking approach that prizes precision over power. At 480 to 550 metres, the estate benefits from significant diurnal temperature variation that drives natural acidity and aromatic clarity in its wines, qualities increasingly valued in a warming viticultural climate. The estate's five wines span from a structured Chianti Classico DOCG to the single-vineyard IGT Anfiteatro and the internationally oriented Bruno di Rocca Super Tuscan, offering a coherent study in how Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon express themselves at altitude in the Panzano and Montefioralle UGAs. With small-lot production of 38,000 bottles annually, all certified organic in practice if not by label, and ongoing scientific work in soil biodiversity, the estate represents the research-driven, terroir-focused generation of Chianti Classico producers.

• One of the highest-elevation estates in Chianti Classico at 480-550m, driving acidity and diurnal precision in the wines
• Practices organic farming and holds Diversity Ark certification (2022) without pursuing formal organic label certification
• Portfolio spans Chianti Classico DOCG, two Gran Selezione wines, two single-vineyard IGTs, and a Super Tuscan, covering multiple quality tiers from one small estate
• Small-lot production of 38,000 bottles with 70% export; added to Volio Imports in 2026 for expanded US reach