A few weeks back I was kindly invited by the Capponi family to Greve in Chianti, to celebrate the 500th anniversary of their stewardship of this historic and famous winery.
My host, and noble friend Count Sebastiano Capponi has been the standard bearer for over thirty years of his family’s country wine estate.
To mark the event guests from all over the globe were invited to a two day celebration, the day itself was marked by a narrated history of the family, its winery, and the history of the area we now refer to as Chianti Classico.Superbly put together by Sebastiano, his sister Tessa and brother Niccolò. The master of ceremonies was another good friend and wine expert Filippo Bartolotta.
The presentation was a fascinating introduction of historic fact, anecdotes and testimony relating to the family’s part in the history of Tuscany and Chianti Classico, aided and abetted by VDU.
The significance of the Capponi family in the Chianti Classico appellation is paramount as it is in the history of enology and Italian culture emanating from Florence. Starting in the twelfth century the name Capponi was inseparable from the rise of importance of Florence: initially wool and silk merchants, then nobles and patrons of the arts, protagonists of the Republic, the Renaissance and the Grand Duchy.
The first archival mention is of a certain Capponi / Capponi enrolled in the Arte della Seta in 1210. Over the centuries numerous villas and palaces arise in the city of Florence bearing the name Capponi, testifying to how the family was a leading light in the city’s history.
Buildings full of important artworks and beauty including: Palazzo Capponi-Covoni, Palazzo Capponi alle Rovinate, Palazzo di Gino Capponi all’Annunziata, Palazzo Capponi-Vittorio, Palazzo Capponi-Incontri, Casa Capponi, Villa Capponi ad Arcetri and of course Villa Calcinaia in Greve in Chianti.
Back to the wine, Villa Calcinaia covers approximately 200 hectares, including 27 hectares under vine, 10 with olive grove and 100 hectares of forest, the remaining serving as a hunting reserve area for local wildlife re-population and goat grazing. Closely following organic management all the production are certified. In the cellar the oenological consultancy is provided by Federico Staderini.
The plantings of Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Trebbiano and Malvasia Bianca take centre stage. Wines produced are Chianti Classico, Chianti Classico Riserva, three Grand Selezione: namely Vigna Bastignano, Vigna La Fornace and Vigna Contessa Luisa, not forgetting, Casarsa a 100% Merlot derived from an old vineyard mistakenly planted in 1967 and naturally, a fine Vin Santo.
It needs to be stated Villa Calcinaia is a beacon to environmental sustainability, protection of biodiversity and a total respect for the land, are the guiding principles that govern the vineyards and olive groves, all under the careful management of Sebastiano Capponi.
Recent action taken to benefit bees include sowing of specific plants and the creation of hedges compatible with their lives, the farm aims to improve the quality of habitat in which they live. In addition, various methods have been employed to make energy savings, from renewable sources: geothermal systems, production of compost using by-products from cultivation of vines and olives and phytodepuration of wastewater from the farms drains.
On of the most important decisions by Sebastiano Capponi after taking responsibility of the management of the estate in 1992, was to preserve the genetic heritage of the grapes in the company’s lands, including Mammolo, Sanforte, Occhiorosso, Canaiolo, Buonamico, Occhio di Pernice, San Colombaio, Malvasia Bianca and Trebbiano as well as over 150 Sangiovese bio types.
During the course of the morning’s engagement various dates of importance were mentioned, for example:
1398
First mention of Chianti. An official document between Ser Lapo Mazzei, a Florentine notary, poet and winemaker, in an exchange of letters with Francesco Datini, mentioned a fine wine (Chianti), extolling its virtues and quality.
1435
First acquisition of lands in Val di Greve by Capponi family.
1524
Contract of purchase between Sebastiano del Caccia and Nicola di Andrea Capponi in which the former sold to Capponi four farms with a noble house in the locality called Calcinaia in Val di Greve.
1613
Niccola Capponi (1577-1643) after a brilliant military career wrote: “How to make wine in the French style according to the best parts of France.” Hence a documented step towards a more modern wine, a wine to obtain less colour, more robust and forward, by adopting careful selection of grapes, not to pick until perfectly ripe and rich in sugars, to start fermentation in vats and continue in barrels… This sounds familiar!
1716
Cosimo 111 Grand Duke of Tuscany issued an edict defining the boundaries of Chianti wine production area. Now referred to as Chianti Classico.
1722
Chianti was the main wine for export from Italy.The noble classes were particularly fond of it. The Duke of Norfolk, (Arundel Sussex UK) wrote to a representative of Brolio to ensure a delivery of 50 cases of ‘real Chianti ‘ every month!
1763
Ferdinando Carlo Capponi built a winery on his estate.
1872
Bettino Ricasoli invented the first known Chianti ‘recipe’
1879
The phylloxera epidemic spreads to Italy. Its detection in Tuscany was dated in 1888 and in 1931 almost 50 years later, phylloxera was still present in 89 provinces out of the 92 at the time.
1924
Consortium founded in Tuscany with 33 producers to protect and defend the Chianti region as stated in the 1716 edict, it was the first of its kind in Italy.
1932
The Italian government added a special notice to the 1716 Bandol, adding Classico to the Chianti name, so the original Chianti region was to be called Chianti Classico.
1956
A little known but nevertheless an important date in the evolution of central Tuscany. A terrible frost descended on Tuscany beginning on the 1st February and lasting weeks, nearly destroying all typical Mediterranean crops such as vines and olive trees. This enabled a new start to the production of these two most important crops in central Italy.
1968
A renaming of the Consortium to Consorzio Vino Chianti Classico.
1984
The DOC status was promoted to DOCG with new laws governing Chianti Classico production, namely increasing the use of Sangiovese from 50-75% to 75-90%, Canaiolo from 5-10% Trebbiano and Malvasia from 2-5% (previously 10-30%) and other recommendations authorised red grape varieties up to 10% these included French varieties such as Merlot and Cabernet.
1996
Chianti Classico was recognised as an autonomous denomination.
2024 update
The Consorizo Vino Chianti Classico has 482 members (345 are bottlers) representing 96% of the companies operating in the area. An area covering 70,000 hectares, 60% which is covered by woodland, total vineyard area 10,000 hectares, 7,000 are suitable for producing DOCG Chianti Classico. Annual production 255- 280,000 hectolitres, corresponding to 35-38 million bottles annually.
Tasting notes
Villa Calcinaia
Mauvais Chapon Metodo Classico 2018
Medium amber in colour with bright straw undertones. Fresh, aromatic, vivid. Citrus induced acidity. Showing grapefruit notes and fine perlage.
Villa Calcinaia
Collezione Privata 1613 Vintage 2011
With a reference to Niccolò Capponi, made in the French style
Pale ruby red in colour. Intense bouquet of dark blue and red rose florals. Concentrated red berry fruits, liquorice, orange peel, balsamic notes. Medium body with medium textural depth. Broad on the close.
Villa Calcinaia
Chianti Classico 1969
Opaque garnet red in colour. Prune and fig on the nose with distant balsamic nuances followed by sour cherry, dried herbs and roast meat. Interesting but a shadow of its former self.
Villa Calcinaia
Bastignano IGT 2006
Medium ruby red in colour. Aromatics of violet, hyacinth and rose petal. Dark cherry, plum, redcurrant, leather, clove, orange peel. Sweet nuances upon entry, tannins and acidity have assisted in leaving a solid structure, following on from mid palate sour cherry and a sharp acidic edge prevails. Medium to full bodied. Lingers on the close.
Villa Calcinaia
Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG 2010
Bright ruby red in colour. A little sedate at first, needing coaxing with aeration. Aromas of pale rose petal, mint, Mediterranean herbs, leather, liquorice and mellow spice. Warm entry, expands slowly across the mid palate, bringing a deep, rich textural vibe.
Balanced, agile, almost boisterous. Secondary notes of cigar leaf and prune. Fresh and fabulous. Tapers slightly on the close. Showing well.
Lunch in the gardens followed this highly interesting and informative morning session. One needed a calculator to count the food courses with further wine delights from the cellar, a totally joyous occasion, an honour to be invited.
I wish to express my sincere thanks to Count Sebastiano Capponi and his esteemed family for their kind invitation to such a memorable celebration.
T.W.
We were there the day before visiting and purchasing wine to ship back to america…beautiful property, knowledgeable and friendly producers and one of my favorite wines in the area ! Sebastiano👍🏽💯✅