Vineyards Magazine

The timeless expression of a Chianti vineyard

Bertinga, a boutique winery rising on Gaiole in Chianti’s loftiest hills, finally unveils the 2018 vintage of its namesake wine: IGT Toscana Bertinga, an elegant blend of Sangiovese and Merlot that until now has been slowly maturing in the estate’s cellars, dug into the hillslope.

Bertinga is not just the name of the wine, it is also a reference to the location where the cuvée originates. The vineyard soils, of Eocene origin and predominantly calcareous, are light, compact and “cool” and, as estate’s Commercial Director Luca Vitiello explains, “they allow the Sangiovese and Merlot to express themselves to the highest degree and to yield complex wines, capable of dialoguing with their most prestigious peers.”

“In 2018, a selection of the finest Sangiovese and Merlot grapes from the Bertinga vineyard melded together into this cuvée,” Luca Vitiello continues, “that today offers an incredibly crisp, dynamic experience, hinting at an extraordinary longevity.” Bertinga’s philosophy, after all, is to take the luxury of patiently ageing its portfolio and introducing the wines to the market only when each vintage begins to truly express its potential.

2018 was characterized by particularly variable weather, making vineyard management quite complex. Unlike 2017, which experienced a lengthy drought and high temperatures, this season alternated sunny, dry stretches with rain, and largely cool temperatures. These conditions challenged vine growth, which remained active and in vegetation until late August, complicating vineyard management. 

“However,” as Elisa Ascani, Bertinga’s winemaker, points out, “the situation improved significantly in September, when the weather took a positive turn: sunny days and warm temperatures reigned during the day, and night brought excellent temperature ranges. This favoured optimal ripening of the grapes and good balance between sugars and acidity. The harvest began in mid-September, a little later than usual, which was positive both in terms of quality and quantity.”

“This was a vintage, therefore, that combined the elegant dynamism of Sangiovese with the depth and structure of Chianti Merlot,” concludes Luca Vitiello. “We simply gave the two varieties all the time they needed to blend together.”

The result is a wine with a contemporary stylistic bent that looks to the future with a modern, international approach. Produced in just 15,000 bottles, it can be found in the best wine shops and restaurants.