Società del Vino A Different Taste of Tuscany

A Different Taste of Tuscany

From Montecarlo in the hills outside Lucca to Empoli west of Florence, four bottles that show how much variety you can find without ever leaving Tuscany.

One of the things I'm beginning to appreciate about Italian wine is just how local it can be.

You don't have to travel from Tuscany to Piedmont or Sicily to find completely different wines. Sometimes you only have to drive an hour.

These four bottles are a perfect example.

Two come from the area around Montecarlo, a small hill town east of Lucca. The other two come from Fattoria di Piazzano near Empoli, between Florence and the Tuscan coast.

We have two reds and two whites. We have Sangiovese and Malvasia, but we also have Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot—grapes you might associate more with Bordeaux than Tuscany.

And that's what makes this group interesting.

Four bottles. Two relatively small areas of Tuscany. Four very different wines.

Fattoria di Montechiari Rosso 2021

Toscana IGT Rosso · Montecarlo, Lucca · Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot · 14%

Our first bottle comes from Fattoria di Montechiari in the hills of Montecarlo, east of Lucca.

The estate has a fascinating history. In the late 1970s, Moreno Panattoni and his wife Catherine Pirmez reorganized the property and its vineyards. Working with respected Italian winemakers Giacomo Tachis and Stefano Chioccioli, they introduced international grape varieties including Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Today, Montechiari has about 11 hectares of vineyards and produces roughly 30,000 bottles annually. (Fattoria di Montechiari)

That history helps explain this wine.

Instead of the Sangiovese we normally associate with Tuscany, Montechiari Rosso is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

The grapes are harvested by hand, fermented and macerated on their skins for about 30 days, then the wine spends approximately 24 months in French oak barriques followed by another 12 months in bottle before release. (Fattoria di Montechiari)

What's in the glass

This is the biggest and most structured wine of our four.

Look for blackberry and plum, with fine tannins and some of the richness and complexity you'd expect from extended aging in French oak. The winery describes the finish as persistent and fresh. (Fattoria di Montechiari)

It's an interesting combination: international grapes and French oak, but grown and made in the hills outside Lucca.

What I'd eat with it

This is where I'd bring out the meat.

Bistecca alla Fiorentina would be hard to beat, but grilled steak, roast beef, lamb or wild game would all work.

I'd also happily drink this with a rich pappardelle al ragù.

Frank's Take

I like this bottle because it challenges the idea that Tuscan red wine has to mean Sangiovese.

Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in Montecarlo might not be what you expect when you think about Tuscany—and that's exactly why I wanted this one in Società del Vino.

Fattoria di Piazzano Rio Camerata Chianti Superiore 2023

Chianti Superiore DOCG · Empoli, Tuscany · 13%

Bottle number two takes us southeast toward Empoli and Fattoria di Piazzano.

And now we're back in more familiar Tuscan territory.

Chianti.

But notice the word underneath it:

Superiore.

Chianti Superiore isn't the same thing as Chianti Classico. Rather, it's a designation within the broader Chianti DOCG that comes with stricter production requirements than ordinary Chianti.

Piazzano calls this wine Rio Camerata, and it's one of a surprisingly diverse collection of wines produced at the estate near Empoli. Along with Chianti, Piazzano works with varieties including Sangiovese, Ciliegiolo, Colorino, Syrah, Malvasia and Colombana. (Fattoria di Piazzano)

What's in the glass

This is the Tuscany many of us recognize immediately.

Think cherry and red fruit, herbs, spice and that bright acidity that makes Sangiovese so good with food.

But the Superiore designation points toward a little more concentration and structure than you'd expect from a simple everyday Chianti.

There's some outside confirmation that Piazzano is doing something right here, too. The 2022 Rio Camerata received 91 points from James Suckling, while earlier vintages have also been recognized by Italian wine guides. (Fattoria di Piazzano)

What I'd eat with it

This one practically asks for tomato sauce.

Pizza, lasagna, pasta with ragù, sausage or roast pork would all be great.

I'd also put a bottle on the table with a simple plate of salumi and pecorino and be perfectly happy.

Frank's Take

Chianti sometimes gets overlooked because everybody knows the name.

But that's exactly why wines like this are interesting.

There is a big difference between grabbing an anonymous bottle labeled Chianti and discovering a smaller producer, learning where the wine comes from and tasting its particular expression of Sangiovese.

That's the fun part.

Fattoria di Piazzano Pratile Malvasia 2025

Toscana IGT · Malvasia · Empoli, Tuscany · 13%

Our third bottle stays at Piazzano but changes direction completely.

We're going from red to white and from Sangiovese to Malvasia.

Malvasia is actually a large family of grape varieties with a long history around the Mediterranean. In Tuscany, it has traditionally played an important role in white wines and in Vin Santo.

Piazzano's version is called Pratile, and the winery identifies it specifically as an IGT Toscana Malvasia. (Fattoria di Piazzano)

This is exactly the type of bottle I enjoy finding because Malvasia doesn't have the instant name recognition of Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay.

And that means there's something new to discover.

What's in the glass

Malvasia can be wonderfully aromatic.

Expect floral aromas along with ripe citrus and orchard fruit, but with enough freshness to keep the wine lively rather than heavy.

The interesting thing here is that you're tasting a grape with deep Italian history as a dry Tuscan white rather than as part of a blend or a sweet dessert wine.

Earlier vintages have gotten some attention as well. Piazzano's 2022 Pratile received 90 points from James Suckling, two glasses from Gambero Rosso and a silver medal from Best Italian Wine Selection. (Fattoria di Piazzano)

What I'd eat with it

Seafood would be my first thought.

Grilled shrimp, branzino, calamari or a simple pasta with clams would all work.

I'd also try it with lighter Tuscan dishes, fresh cheeses or just some prosciutto and melon on a warm afternoon.

Frank's Take

This might be the bottle I'd use to introduce someone to the idea behind Società del Vino.

Not because it's necessarily the "best" wine of the four.

Because it's something many people wouldn't think to order.

A dry Tuscan Malvasia from a small estate near Empoli?

Pour me a glass.

Il Vignolo Montecarlo Bianco 2025

Montecarlo Bianco DOC · Montecarlo, Lucca · 13.5%

Our final bottle brings us back to Montecarlo.

And this one represents something particularly interesting about this little wine-producing area outside Lucca.

Montecarlo has a tradition of white wine that feels a little different from what many people expect from Tuscany.

The bottle comes from Il Vignolo, produced by Azienda Agricola Stefanini Tronchetti. The label itself points to the vineyard and the family's roots in the area, and Montecarlo Bianco has been recognized as a DOC since 1969.

That alone makes this worth exploring.

When people hear "Tuscan wine," white wine probably isn't the first thing that comes to mind.

But around Montecarlo, it deserves some attention.

What's in the glass

This is the kind of white I want at the table rather than simply drinking on its own.

Look for freshness, citrus and white fruit, some floral character and a clean finish.

At 13.5% alcohol, there's enough body here to stand up to food while still retaining the freshness you'd want from a Tuscan white.

Serve it properly chilled—but not ice cold. Give the wine a chance to show some character.

What I'd eat with it

This bottle makes me think immediately about the food around Lucca.

Seafood, grilled fish, chicken or lighter pasta dishes would all work.

I'd particularly like it with spaghetti alle vongole, grilled branzino or a simple plate of pecorino, prosciutto and bread with good Tuscan olive oil.

Frank's Take

Montecarlo continues to surprise me.

It's a small place, and yet we're finding rosato, interesting reds and now a DOC white wine with its own local identity.

That's exactly the kind of wine region I want to keep exploring.

Put these four bottles together and there's an interesting lesson.

You don't need to travel across Italy to discover completely different styles of Italian wine.

We started in Montecarlo with a Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blend aged in French oak. Then we moved toward Empoli for Chianti Superiore and Malvasia. Finally, we came back to Montecarlo for a local DOC white.

Two reds.

Two whites.

Two relatively small areas of Tuscany.

And four completely different expressions of the region.

The more Italian wine I explore, the less interested I become in asking which bottle has the highest score.

I'm much more interested in another question:

Where did this come from—and what are we going to eat with it?

That's what Società del Vino is about.

Salute!

— Frank