Le Boncie

Over many years, Giovanna Morganti worked as an oenologist, moving through the vineyards of Chianti and advising the local winemakers. But little by little, agribusiness began to take over the hills between Florence and Siena, undermining the ideals Giovanna associated with her profession. She took a double leap: quitting her job as a consultant and launching her own small winery.

Nearly 20 years later, Giovanna Morganti is considered one of the most important winemakers in her region—and a central figure in the alternative, artisanal wine scene.

TRULY CHIANTI CLASSICO

With Le Trame, a Sangiovese-based cuvée in which the native grapes Mammolo, Colorino, and Foglia Tonda also play vital supporting roles, Giovanna has spent decades pushing back against the internationalizing trends in Chianti Classico. And she’s been widely applauded for it.

Instead of softening Sangiovese’s rough edges through modern winemaking tricks—like enzymes or new barriques—and fattening it up with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, Giovanna remains faithful to traditional methods and indigenous varieties. Her wines often highlight the grape’s inherent austerity and complexity. Yet for those willing to engage with them, they open a door to the immense potential of Sangiovese—and to a region that, in recent years, has often found itself desperately searching for an identity.

BUSH VINES & A CULTURAL MISSION

Her four hectares of vineyards lie in the southern reaches of Chianti Classico, in Castelnuovo Berardenga. Geologically, this means her vines grow in very rocky, limestone-rich soils. Topographically, they’re nestled into a gentle, rolling landscape dotted with forests and olive groves.

Contrary to popular belief, the area northeast of Siena is a relatively recent addition to Chianti’s wine map—but one that is perfectly suited for producing great wines.

Giovanna farms organically and trains all her vines in alberello, the traditional bush-vine method of Tuscany. She believes this gives her vines a longer life—and points to the century-old vines on Etna and in Sardinia as examples. It also allows for closer, more meaningful interaction with the plants, offers better resilience against climate change, and supports Tuscany’s historic viticultural culture. Culture, in fact, is a constant theme in Giovanna’s work.

Nowhere is that more evident than in her unwavering dedication to native varieties, above all Sangiovese, whose character she strives to reveal honestly and without compromise, always in relation to its terroir.

Authenticity, for Giovanna, is not just a marketing term—it’s the very essence of what wine should be. Her Sangiovese does not hide its natural acidity; instead, the acidity is fully and harmoniously integrated into her wines. Alongside Le Trame, she also produces the equally outstanding Cinque (5), which shows the same purity of purpose.

She seeks authenticity in her other grapes, too: Mammolo is allowed to express its floral notes freely, Foglia Tonda lends a balancing, moderating influence, and Colorino contributes vibrant color and aromatic depth to both wines.

Giovanna’s greatest achievement may be her ability to unify these distinct traits into wines that—though they reject official approval from the Chianti Classico consortium—hold up a mirror to the region and offer it an identity that is sorely missing from most of its certified expressions.