Monte Antico is a proprietary label of Neil & Maria Empson. Three and a half decades of passion and experience have gone into the Empsons' tribute to the heartland of Italy. Their unique affinity to this extraordinary region has led them to make their own mark on Tuscan soil: with the Maestro of Italian winemakers, Franco Bernabei, they have styled the Tuscan grape per eccellenza and expressed its ultimate potential, complementing it with minor percentages of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Monte Antico (which, incidentally, means "ancient mountain") comes from choice hillside vineyards on diverse soils – compact, very fine-textured limestone, at an altitude of 400-450 meters above sea level; the classic, clayey/calcareous, rocky galestro, also at altitudes around 400 meters; and clayey/siliceous/calcareous soil, at an altitude of 250-300 meters: a cross-section of Tuscany's best.

The finest selections are cherry-picked according to harvest conditions in the individual terroirs and microclimates. This balanced orchestration of geological diversity makes for the wine's consistent excellence.

Review

Wine Spectator: Bright plum, dried cherry and flowers on the nose. Full-bodied, with fine tannins and refined berry and cherry flavors. Drink now. 80,000 cases made. -JS Top 100 of 2009 rank #61. Wine Enthusiast: Here's a cheerful and well-priced blend of Sangiovese (85%), Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon with good density and concentration backed by aromas of spice, blackberry and wet earth. The wine (packaged in a screw cap bottle which is rare to see on red wines from Italy) is fresh and clean and imparts fresh berry flavors. M.L.