La Màgia

The Schwarz family have owned La Màgia since the mid-1970s. Originally from Alto Adige, they were among the first producers of Brunello di Montalcino to estate-bottle their wines. Second-generation Fabian runs this organic estate, having started here in 2005. He has redefined the estate’s character and continues to realise the potential of its terroir. The quality of the raw material is paramount to Fabian’s philosophy; he chooses to focus on vine health first. The estate’s crowning glory is the old Sangiovese vineyard planted by Fabian’s father in 1974 and exclusively registered as Brunello. The best vines surround an ancient cherry tree, vinified separately in his cru, Ciliegio. The farm sits high above the Abbey of Sant’Animo – a UNESCO World Heritage site – and faces Mount Amiata. Its 400- to 450-metre elevation and exposure to mountain winds create a unique, cooler microclimate, adding freshness and energy to the wines.

In the winery, fermentations are natural and long. When it comes to maturation, La Màgia is experimental rather than traditional (or, indeed, modernist). Fabian experiments with coopers and barrel sizes; a combination of barrique, tonneau, amphora and traditional botti grande fill his barricaia. Each plot has its own personality and receives its own treatment. His low-intervention approach yields wines that are elegant, terroir-driven and individual. Once, pilgrims rested at the fattoria; now, this hallowed ground holds a different kind of magic.