About this wine
Vineyard and terroir
Metafisica is produced from micro-plots whose grapes are allowed to reach optimal ripeness and then handled separately from fermentation through ageing.
Castello Romitorio planted its first Chardonnay vineyard in the early 1990s. The original site proved unsuitable, prompting the Chia family to relocate and replant it. The variety now grows in a tiny northwest-facing vineyard in Montalcino, rooted in Galestro-rich soil.
Trebbiano Toscano entered the blend in 2021 after the acquisition of an old vineyard at Località Case Sparse in Scansano. Known locally as Procanico, this Maremma variety comes from vines described for the 2021 release as 50 years old and among the oldest in the area.
Grapes
Chardonnay and Trebbiano Toscano, also called Procanico. Blend proportions vary by vintage. The Chardonnay comes from Montalcino and the Trebbiano from the Scansano area of the Maremma.
Vinification
Each variety is processed separately. The juice receives brief skin contact before gentle pressing and cooling. After natural settling, fermentation begins.
Ageing
The wine rests on its lees before bottle ageing in a temperature-controlled cellar. The 2022 release spent nine months in barriques; the 2021 release was aged in oak for nine months.
Technical data
Toscana Bianco IGT. Production amounted to 1,850 bottles in 2022 and 1,900 bottles in 2021.
Tasting profile
The wine combines minerality, freshness and vibrancy. The 2022 release is textured, with orchard fruit, yellow rose and baked apple-pie notes, balancing sweet and savoury dimensions. The 2021 release showed a light-golden appearance and creamy texture, with orchard fruit, baked pear, saffron and apple pie; brief skin contact contributed a slight tannic impression, while the dry finish carried dusty minerality. Another published assessment of the 2021 found white nectarine, golden apple, crushed almond, praline and dried lemon peel, followed by a sleek, medium- to full-bodied palate, juicy acidity and a focused citrus finish. The 2020 entry describes apricot, mango stone, cream, lemon pith and salted almond, with a medium- to full-bodied, oily, layered texture.
Serving and pairing
The 2022 release was paired with Moroccan chicken tagine with preserved lemon. The published notes recommend drinking the 2020 and 2021 releases now.
Vintage notes
Trebbiano joined the blend in 2021. The ratings archive calls 2021 the inaugural release and describes it as equal parts Chardonnay and Procanico; current blend proportions vary by vintage. Production declined from 1,900 bottles in 2021 to 1,850 bottles in 2022.
Label / history
Sandro Chia painted the label's watercolour specifically for Metafisica in 2020. Conceived to resemble the universe, it evokes the abstract relationship between space and time and connects the Chardonnay–Trebbiano blend with the long history of Mediterranean white-wine production.