About this wine
Vineyard and terroir
The coastal climate contributes freshness and light minerality. Nittardi’s vineyards lie between Siena and Florence, in a historically established winegrowing area. The estate has 12 hectares of vines, planted at 450 metres on south-facing hillsides in the heart of Chianti Classico. Surrounding oak trees shelter the vines from cold winds.
Ageing
After fermentation, the wine matures for six months in stainless-steel tanks, helping to preserve its freshness and intense fruit aromas.
Tasting profile
Intense fruit aromas lead to a refreshing palate with light minerality.
Label / history
Ben is derived from Beniamino, an Italian term of affection for a family’s youngest son. The nickname was chosen when Nittardi launched its first white wine in 2012, making it the youngest wine in the range.
A defensive tower named Nectar Dei stood on the estate in the 12th century and later gave its name to another Nittardi wine. In the 16th century, the estate belonged to Michelangelo Buonarroti, who cultivated grapes and made wine there. In a 1549 letter to his nephew Lionardo, he wrote, “I would prefer two barrels of wine to eight shirts.” The correspondence also records Nittardi wine being sent to Rome as a “genuine gift for the Pope,” with Popes Julius II and Leo X named in the account.
Since 1982, Fattoria Nittardi has belonged to Frankfurt publisher and art-gallery owner Peter Femfert and his wife Stefania, a Venetian historian. Besides its vineyards, the estate comprises 4 hectares of olive groves and 120 hectares of untouched woodland.
