Headed into the holidays, we often start to think of richer wines that can stand up to heartier meals and that also will please the palates of many different drinkers at the table. If there is a short list of the perfect wines for these occasions, Croce di Febo is on it.

Croce di Febo is Maurizio Comitini, winemaker at the estate since 1995.  Although the area has thousands of years of winemaking history, Comitini is relatively new to the tradition: Maurizio’s mother was a professional dancer and his father was a doctor, so he is a first generation winemaker. 

The 4.4 hectares of vines range from 280m-530m in elevation.  Western exposure for the most part. The estate has been certified organic since 2018 and is also farmed biodynamically. Harvest takes place from a total of 10 parcels.  They don’t stomp the clusters – everything is whole cluster, always.  All wines are fermented using indigenous yeasts. Vinification uses multiple vessels, including oak barrels from France, Hungary, and Italy, concrete eggs and tanks.  They add a small amount of SO2 after malolactic fermentation but before racking; most of the sulfites drop into the lees and are left behind.  Bottling occurs in accordance with the cycles of the moon.

These are precise, balanced, and elegant wines that exude freshness and typicity. It’s been a while since we’ve come across a producer in Montepulciano as exciting as this.