Podere Le Boncie 5 2024

Podere Le Boncie 5 2024, five Tuscan voices

This organic red blends five local grape varieties in equal parts, rather than letting Sangiovese speak alone. I like this blend as a tangible way to approach the diversity of Tuscany's vines: a wine of character, born in a landscape of hills and woods, vinified with indigenous yeasts.

Castelnuovo Berardenga, in the heart of Chianti

Podere Le Boncie is located in Castelnuovo Berardenga, one of the seven comuni of the Chianti Classico zone. This family estate has four hectares of vines, and Giovanna Morganti has run it since the 1980s. The 5 cuvée is classified IGP Toscana: its name refers to the five varieties in the blend, not to a Chianti Classico appellation. Sangiovese makes up 20% of the wine, as do Ciliegiolo, Colorino, Foglia Tonda and Mammolo.

The vines, planted in 1995 on stony soils, are surrounded by forests, olive trees and other vineyard plots. They are farmed organically, and the grapes are hand-harvested at full ripeness. In the cellar, the bunches are destemmed and crushed, then ferment spontaneously with their indigenous yeasts. Skin maceration lasts ten days. The wine then matures for eight months in large oak casks, followed by six months in bottle. This traditional method leaves room for the fruit without erasing the identity of the five varieties.

The available sources give no precise description of the colour, aromas or flavours, so I prefer not to invent tasting notes. The style markers do place the wine in the middle of the fruity-spicy scale, with a score of 5 out of 9; its oak influence is moderate, at 3 out of 9, and its body also sits at 5 out of 9. These indications describe a red of medium body, where wood is not presented as dominant. They can help you place the cuvée, without replacing a tasting or promising aromas the information does not confirm.

At the table, between cured meats and red meat

I would serve it with a platter of cured meats or aged cheeses, the pairings suggested for this cuvée, or with red meat for a more generous meal. Its announced profile, medium in fruit, spice and body, calls for flavourful cooking rather than delicate dishes that would be overshadowed by the wine. For a Tuscan evening at home, you can open this bottle and take the time to let the nuances of its blend emerge. Podere Le Boncie 5 2024 thus offers a way to taste five grape varieties of the territory in a single glass.