Monastero Suore Cistercensi 'Benedic' Red Blend, Lazio, Italy 2024
Pickup available at DECANT Napa - 2999 Solano, Napa, CA
Usually ready in 1 hour
In the medieval village of Vitorchiano, ninety minutes north of Rome, seventy Cistercian nuns have tended five hectares of vineyards organically since the early 1990s. Under the guidance of renowned consultant Giampiero Bea, son of the legendary Paolo Bea, these sisters craft wines of remarkable purity and grace, producing minimal-intervention expressions that reflect both their devotion and the volcanic terroir of Lazio. Their wines are available only in the United States and Japan.
- WINEMAKER: Giampiero Bea (consultant) & the nuns of Monastero Suore Cistercensi
- FARMING: Certified Organic
- VARIETY: 50% Sangiovese, 50% Ciliegiolo
- TERROIR: The estate vineyard sits on volcanic soils in Vitorchiano, located at the foot of Mount Cimini in the Lazio region. This unique terroir imparts distinctive mineral characteristics to the wines.
- VINIFICATION: Grapes are hand-harvested by all seventy nuns working together. Following complete destemming, the must undergoes spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts and two weeks of maceration on the skins in stainless steel and fiberglass vessels, with no temperature control or stabilization.
- AGING: Minimal aging in neutral vessels before bottling.
- TASTING NOTES: Despite its extended maceration, Benedic emerges as a beautifully pale, translucent wine with a glowing coppery hue. The nose reveals red licorice, blood orange, and pipe tobacco alongside delicate floral notes. On the palate, gentle red fruit mingles with tea leaves and subtle spice, supported by nearly imperceptible tannins and refreshing acidity. Light-bodied at around 11-12% alcohol, this ethereal red embodies monastic simplicity. Bottled unfined and unfiltered with minimal sulfur addition.
- FOOD PAIRINGS: Serve slightly chilled alongside antipasti, wood-fired pizza, grilled seafood, pasta with light sauces, or eggplant Parmesan. Its delicate nature and bright acidity make it remarkably versatile.
In the medieval village of Vitorchiano, ninety minutes north of Rome, seventy Cistercian nuns have tended five hectares of vineyards organically since the early 1990s. Under the guidance of renowned consultant Giampiero Bea, son of the legendary Paolo Bea, these sisters craft wines of remarkable purity and grace, producing minimal-intervention expressions that reflect both their devotion and the volcanic terroir of Lazio. Their wines are available only in the United States and Japan.
- WINEMAKER: Giampiero Bea (consultant) & the nuns of Monastero Suore Cistercensi
- FARMING: Certified Organic
- VARIETY: 50% Sangiovese, 50% Ciliegiolo
- TERROIR: The estate vineyard sits on volcanic soils in Vitorchiano, located at the foot of Mount Cimini in the Lazio region. This unique terroir imparts distinctive mineral characteristics to the wines.
- VINIFICATION: Grapes are hand-harvested by all seventy nuns working together. Following complete destemming, the must undergoes spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts and two weeks of maceration on the skins in stainless steel and fiberglass vessels, with no temperature control or stabilization.
- AGING: Minimal aging in neutral vessels before bottling.
- TASTING NOTES: Despite its extended maceration, Benedic emerges as a beautifully pale, translucent wine with a glowing coppery hue. The nose reveals red licorice, blood orange, and pipe tobacco alongside delicate floral notes. On the palate, gentle red fruit mingles with tea leaves and subtle spice, supported by nearly imperceptible tannins and refreshing acidity. Light-bodied at around 11-12% alcohol, this ethereal red embodies monastic simplicity. Bottled unfined and unfiltered with minimal sulfur addition.
- FOOD PAIRINGS: Serve slightly chilled alongside antipasti, wood-fired pizza, grilled seafood, pasta with light sauces, or eggplant Parmesan. Its delicate nature and bright acidity make it remarkably versatile.