The winemaker and agronomist of Vecchie Terre di Montefili guides readers through the geography of Chianti Classico. Two Gran Selezione wines from the estate, coming from the areas of Panzano and Montefioralle, provide a practical example
September 29, 2026 (Greve in Chianti, Italy) — At Vecchie Terre di Montefili, on the hills between Greve in Chianti and Panzano, Serena Gusmeri works with vineyards that are close to one another but belong to two different areas of Chianti Classico: Panzano and Montefioralle. For the winemaker and agronomist, who has led the estate since 2015, this is a concrete starting point for explaining the UGAs, the Additional Geographical Units.
“Chianti Classico includes different places. Altitude, exposure, soils and the conditions in which the grapes ripen all vary,” explains Serena Gusmeri. “Sangiovese responds to these differences, which contribute to the character of the wine. Knowing the area of origin offers an additional key to understanding what we taste.”
When you read “Chianti Classico” on a label, you recognize the wine’s denomination. That name, however, encompasses a broad and diverse territory: two bottles may both come from Sangiovese grapes and yet have different characteristics. Knowing where the grapes were grown helps to understand this diversity.
The UGAs give names to eleven areas within Chianti Classico, including Panzano and Montefioralle. When a Gran Selezione wine meets the required conditions, the name of the area may appear on the label. This allows those choosing the bottle to know a more precise origin of the grapes, in addition to the denomination.
“UGAs are a way of reading the map of Chianti Classico more closely,” says Serena Gusmeri. “They allow us to move from the overall territory to a more limited area. They are not a ranking of better and worse areas.”
At Montefili, this geography can be told through two wines. Vinea Vecchia Chianti Classico DOCG Gran Selezione comes from a vineyard in the Panzano UGA area, planted in 1981. Vinea nel Bosco Chianti Classico DOCG Gran Selezione comes from the estate’s highest vineyard, in the Montefioralle UGA area, surrounded by woodland. These are two Gran Selezione wines made from Sangiovese grapes: knowing the different origins of the vineyards provides a starting point for understanding their characteristics.
For those unfamiliar with the language of wine, the meaning of the UGAs lies here: adding information about the place of origin to the name Chianti Classico. In the case of Montefili, the names Panzano and Montefioralle help place on the map the vineyards from which the two wines originate and invite people to take a closer look at what makes the denomination’s territory so diverse.
About Vecchie Terre di Montefili
Located between the UGAs of Panzano and Montefioralle in the heart of Chianti Classico, Vecchie Terre di Montefili was founded in 1975 and acquired in 2015 by Frank Bynum and Tom Peck Jr. Today, under the direction of winemaker and agronomist Serena Gusmeri, the estate farms 12.5 hectares of vineyards at approximately 540 metres above sea level, following a philosophy rooted in sustainability, biodiversity and the careful expression of individual vineyard parcels. Sangiovese lies at the heart of production, giving rise to wines that combine elegance, a profound sense of place and outstanding ageing potential.
