photo by Leif Carlsson
It would be unforgivable to visit the pretty hilltop town of Capalbio and not bask in the sunbathed vineyards that comprise Monteverro’s verdant estate.
Picturesque towns, spellbinding views and the purest nature bejewel the Silver Coast, a short distance from the Lazio border. Located on the main road leading from Capalbio to the pristine beaches, Monteverro embraces visitors who arrive through the distinctive stone-clad entrance and wind their way along the gravel road lined with the greenest of vines. A winery tour begins with a drive up to a mesmerizing terrace overlooking the leafy expanse of vineyards with the cerulean allure of the Tyrrhenian Sea on the horizon. Wine lovers can’t help but fall in love with the precision technology of the fermentation room and the striking design-led barrique cellar before enjoying a superlative degustazione in the tasting room vaunting an unforgettable glass partition that looks straight into the heart of the barricaia.
Julia and Georg Weber – photo by Leif Carlsson
For ten years, Julia and Georg Weber have been producing top-tier Maremma wine appreciated by a global following who are moved by international varietals imprinted with the most memorable of Italian terroir. It’s a passion project with an astute business core for the Tuscany-loving Bavaria-based couple, whose love of the land brought them to Capalbio in search of the ideal terroir; they even married in the town’s twelfth-century San Nicola church.
photo by Leif Carlsson
“I looked over the slopes that gently drop to the Tyrrhenian Sea, felt the mild breeze that blew in from the water, and breathed the scent of the Mediterranean scrub, of the herbs and flowers,” Georg Weber explained. “It was my Eureka moment, that instant when I realized, ‘This coast has incredible potential.”
“We want to produce cashmere, not cotton,” Weber explains, whose passion for wine originated with a glass of 1966 Chateau Latour poured by a family friend when he was studying in Lausanne.
photo by Leif Carlsson
To achieve maximum quality and to nurture a love of detail, the couple depend on their team of international experts: oenologist Matthieu Taunay, who was announced as Best Winemaker in the World in the 2017 Best Wines of the World Competition; world-famous consultant Michel Rolland, who makes several visits to Monteverro during the year; and Swiss-born Jean Hoefliger, whose 100 point wines ensure that he has been referred to as one of the top five winemakers in the world.
The estate’s first four labels from the 2008 vintage made their debut in 2011: Monteverro, the noble flagship blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot; Terra di Monteverro, an approachable second vin made from the same grapes; the supple and spicy Syrah and Grenache Tinata, and one of Tuscany’s silkiest Chardonnays. In 2015, two more wines joined their siblings: the uncomplicated Verruzzo (Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and a dash of Sangiovese) and a sunny and saline Vermentino.
The Reds – photo by Leif Carlsson
The approach is organic, with certification on schedule in 2019, not to follow fashion but out of the utmost respect for the territory. And that stance is proving a winning one from the vineyard to the glass, something that is instantly apparent upon visiting this sublime winery in Tuscany’s Deep South.
Art & Wine
photo by Chiara Serracchiani
Now an annual appointment, Capalbio’s popular Arte e Vino showcase returns this summer with Monteverro’s vineyards hosting two marble statues by local artist Elena Saracino: the vertical sculpture titled Hourglass depicts Time, while the smaller “Spinning Top” indicates Space and points to “Here”, representing Physical Space.
Visit
photo by Leif Carlsson
Monteverro
11, Strada Aurelia Capalbio. 58011 Capalbio (Grosseto)
Winery tours are available on appointment; call +39 0564 890937 or email visit@monteverro.com. The wine shop is open Monday to Friday.
