Montenidoli Vernaccia di San Gimignano 'Fiore'

Bruce Sanderson of Wine Spectator summed up Montenidoli perfectly. He said the "wines of Montenidoli are in a class by themselves" and that "they are stylistically unlike any others in the denomination and stand head and shoulders above the rest." He went on to say "they remind me of other wines uniquely tied to place and the vision of the winemaker. Cappellano, Soldera's Case Basse, Valentini and Emidio Pepe come to mind from Italy; Henri Bonneau and Domaine Leroy in France." Needless to say, Elisabetta Fagiuoli has great command over this-oft simple wine.

Elizabetta's Fiore bottling is her purest expression of the grape. All free run juice, with no skin contact, the wine is fermented and aged at length on the lees before bottling. The finished wine is wonderful, savory, and complex. With good weight and concentration to the apple, pear, lemon, melon, and spice, this is a joy to drink with or without food.