Montesecondo, San Casciano Val di Pesa
It can seem a bit confusing that this half Russian, half Sicilian guy who grew up in Tunisia and started his adult life in New York, ended up as a winegrower in Chianti. It’s not that strange though. In New York Silvio Messana was trying to make his living as a musician. This can be a bit challenging when it comes to the economics sometimes (no matter how big your talent is) so he started to sell wine to be able to feed the family.
Wine was something he felt attached to already, both from enjoying drinking it and also because his parents now lived at a beautiful farm in Tuscany, where his father planted vineyards in the early 70: s. Silvio payed that farm frequently visits and got a fair share of both wine and romantic views in the vineyards. When Silvios father died, his mother looked after the vineyards and sold the grapes to the local negociant. But in the mid 90: s Silvios mother got ill and he decided to take his family with him and move there to be able to be near her and help out. They enjoyed life here and decided to stay after his mother passed away.
In 2004 he started to farm organic and since 2006, after he got influenced by people like Nicolas Joly, Stefano Belotti and other strong personalities that are in that way of farming, he converted to biodynamic farming. Today Silvio reigns over 17 hectares of vineyards, a new part with 6 hectares in Vegnano – which is where he now lives. These vineyards are higher up and with chalkier soils then his original vineyards which adds both elegance and structure to the wines. We will also see a new, single vineyard cuvée from this new part, hopefully from 2017 vintage.
He produces mainly reds of Sangiovese but also makes a small amount of Cabernet Sauvignon and a ’white’ Trebbiano (very delicate skin maceration on this one).
The wines: expressive, intense, fresh and smooth at the same time. A bit like Silvio himself.
2020 Silvio Messana Bianco (also in KeyKeg)
Soil: Clay, marl, limestone and fluvial stones
Grape: Trebbiano
Appellation: IGT
Age of Vines: Planted 1998 and 2000
Vinification: Destemmed and fermented 5 days with the skins in concrete tank before pressing. Continous fermentation and aged in concrete tanks until mid March 2021.
2020 Silvio Messana Garnaccia
Soil: Clay, marl, limestone and fluvial stones
Grape: Vernaccia
Appellation: IGT
Age of Vines: Planted 2002
Vinification: Whole cluster fermentation for 10 days. After press the ageing takes place in concrete tanks for 8 months. Bottled in May 2021.
2021 Montesecondo ACT Orange 20 L KeyKeg
Soil: Clay, marl, limestone and fluvial stones
Grape: Trebbiano
Appellation: IGT
Age of Vines: Planted 1998 and 2000
Vinification: Destemmed and fermented 7 days with the skins in concrete tank before pressing. Continous fermentation and aged in concrete tanks until mid May 2022.
2018 Montesecondo TÏN Trebbiano
Soil: Clay, marl and limestone, from Vegnano
Grape: Trebbiano
Appellation: IGT
Age of Vines: Planted 2000-2010
Vinification: Destemmed then fermented with 6 months skin maceration in amphora before bottling.
2021 Montesecondo Ghazii Petnat
Soil: Clay, marl and limestone, from Vegnano.
Grape: Sangiovese
Appellation: IGT
Age of Vines: Planted 2000
Vinification: Direct slow press, which left a pink colour to the juice. Fermentation started in tank, and was put in bottle when some sugar was left to make perfect bubbles.
2020 Silvio Messana Rosé
Soil: Clay and limstone
Grape: Sangiovese
Appellation: IGT
Age of Vines: Planted 2010
Vinification: Direct slow press, which only left a pink colour to the juice. Fermentation and ageing in concrete, bottled in mid March 2021.
2020, 2021 Montesecondo
Soil: Clay, marl and limestone, from Vegnano.
Grape: Sangiovese
Appellation: IGT
Age of Vines: Planted 2000-2011
Vinification: Destemmed then fermented for 4 days on the skins before pressing and ageing in stainless steel tanks. Bottling took place after 7 months of ageing.
2019 Silvio Messana Sangiovese KeyKeg
Soil: Clay and fluvial stones
Grape: Sangiovese
Appellation: IGT
Age of Vines: Planted 1998
Vinification: Destemmed then fermented for 4 days on the skins before pressing and ageing in concrete tanks. Bottling took place after 3 months ageing.
2018, 2019, 2020 Chianti Classico
Soil: Limestone, clay and marl.
Grape: Sangiovese, Colorino and Canaiolo
Appellation: Chianti Classico DOCG
Age of Vines: planted 1963 to 2003
Yields: 40 hl/ha
Vinification: Destemmed then fermented for 8 days on the skins before pressing and ageing in 500-liter old barrels and concrete tanks. Bottling took place after 11 months ageing.
2018, 2019 Il Rospo
Soil: Limestone, clay and marl.
Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon
Appellation: IGT
Age of Vines: planted 1998
Yields: 40 hl/ha
Vinification: Destemmed then fermented for 8 days on the skins before pressing and ageing in concrete tanks. Bottling took place after 11 months of ageing.
2016, 2018 TïN
Soil: Limestone, clay and marl.
Grape: Sangiovese
Appellation: IGT
Age of Vines: planted 1995
Yields: 40 hl/ha
Vinification: Destemmed then fermented for 7 months on the skins in amphora before pressing and ageing in concrete tanks. Bottling took place in September the year following the harvest..