"Fresh and dried cherry and pure plum fruit intertwine with dried leather, pine dusty earth and tangy acidity. Even in warmer years of increased structure, the wine never has a feeling of over ripe fruit and never has excess fat.

Our first visit to Giuseppe Mongelli's Gimonda farm was one of the most memorable visits that we've experienced. We loved Giuseppe's humanity and willingness to question and explore everything to achieve something more, something real. Even so, we knew the wines were special far before we met him. It was apparent from the first encounter that we had with his 2010 Vicere IGT. A wine of such originality, intellect and regal character is a rarity. This is especially true given that the Vicere vineyard (that the wine is named for) is in the marginalized Chianti zone.

Giuseppe purchased the farm in 2002 from an older neighbor who was ready to retire after decades of making wine the old way and selling it locally in Demijohn. In an age where much of Italy has descended into the easy consistency and uniformity of a more modern approach obsessed with control, Giuseppe wholeheartedly embraced natural and simple vineyard work and a cellar approach that could be hands off if the farming promoted a thriving vineyard full of life. In short, Giuseppe embraced the tried and true farming standards of old.

Giuseppe is both a forthright and contemplative person with a warm and gently nostalgic way about him. It's a lot of fun bringing him new wines and hearing his opinion. With an expert palate, his masterful deductive reasoning is a reminder of his analytically rooted skill set from his first career in life sciences. However, in talking more deeply with him, he speaks in a largely philosophical, non-technical manner. To him, wines have distinct personalities and phases of life. He spoke of crying during the 2007 harvest because the vines were in such natural equilibrium that he had never seen such beautiful grapes harvested." -Vine Farmers