DECANTER WORLD WINE AWARD 2022 SILVER MEDAL. Powerful and spicy with plenty of earthy dried herbal characters. Big with tannin-chew and a chocolate-driven finish.
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Few wineries in the world possess the stature, respect and devotion that the Contini Bonacossi family has cultivated and maintained over five generations with their Tenuta di Capezzana winery. The estate is located 12 miles west of Florence in the Carmignano sub-zone, one of the oldest recognized wine producing areas in Tuscany. Ancient Etruscan artifacts have shown that grapevines were cultivated in the area for wine production over 3,000 years ago. The first reference to Capezzana dates to 804 A.D. An ancient parchment stored at the Florentine state archives shows the granting of a lease of vineyards and olive groves for the cultivation of wine and olive oil to a place called Capezzana.
Over the centuries, the estate passed through several families. But the story of today’s Capezzana started when the Count Alessandro Contini Bonacossi and his family returned to Italy after living in Spain and purchased the estate from Raimondo Franchetti’s widow, Sara de Rothschild, in 1920. Not content with this original holding, Count Alessandro acquired the two neighboring farms, “The Poggetto” and “Trefiano,” dividing the property into three distinct estates with more than 120 poderi. The winery was dedicated to the production of high-quality wine and olive oil with the first vintage of Villa di Capezzana in 1925.
Augusto, Alessandro’s son, took over the management of the estate and in 1945, his son, Ugo, joined him. Ugo had completed a degree in Agriculture before heading to the War, and he was devoted to increasing the quality of the family’s wines – a notable endeavor during a time when most producers were still selling their grapes by weight. It was Ugo’s vision that gradually moved the estate away from sharecropping towards a modern-day winery.
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LOCATIONWINERY: Carmignano, Prato, Tuscany VINEYARD: Carmignano, Tuscany VIEW IN GOOGLE MAPS REGION DETAILS |
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92
JUNE 2022
Tenuta di Capezzana Villa di Capezzana di Carmignano DOCG 2018
DECANTER WORLD WINE AWARD 2022 SILVER MEDAL. Powerful and spicy with plenty of earthy dried herbal characters. Big with tannin-chew and a chocolate-driven finish. 92
JUNE 2022
Tenuta di Capezzana Barco Reale di Carmignano DOC 2020
A juicy, vibrant red with raspberry, mulberry, cherry, sage, lemon and spice-box aromas. Medium-bodied with lightly chewy tannins and fresh acidity. Crunchy and energetic. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold. 93
NOVEMBER 2019
Tenuta di Capezzana Barco Reale di Carmignano DOC 2017
Orange zest, dried cranberries, notes of ash and tar, as well as rosemary all spring from the glass on the nose. There’s impressive polish to the strands of lightly indented tannins which are melded together with bright acidity. Medium-bodied and medium-chewy on the finish. Drink now. 93
DECEMBER 2022
Tenuta di Capezzana Vin Santo di Carmignano DOC Riserva 2013
This is rich and intense with dried persimmons, dried oranges, toffee caramel and milk chocolate. Dense and waxy with a delicious sugary fruit character and a lingering floral and honeyed finish. Drink or hold. 92
JUNE 2023
Tenuta di Capezzana "Vin Ruspo" Rosato di Carmignano DOC 2022
Vin Ruspo, from the Carmignano production zone near Prato in Tuscany, is one of Italy’s most complex styles of rosato. A blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Canaiolo and Cabernet Franc; deep orange appearance; aromas of orange zest, pear, pectin and orange roses. Medium-full with a rich, complex finish that is dry and elegantly styled, this has appealing flavors of orange and strawberry. Enjoy over the next 2-3 years. 97
MARCH 2024
Tenuta di Capezzana Vin Santo di Carmignano DOC Riserva 2016
The 2016 Vin Santo di Carmignano Riserva is an understated beauty, opening slowly. It entices with a whiff of saw dust and crushed toasted almond, giving way to dried apricot, nectarine and finally a dusting of cocoa. The Riserva flows across the palate more like nectar than wine, with a mix of sweet autumnal spice and peach preserves, all held together perfectly by brisk acidity. The 2016 is amazingly long, balanced and complex, leaving a staining of ground ginger and burnt sugar. Through it all, the mouth is left watering as nearly a minute goes by and hints of brown butter and sweet cinnamon carry on. Simply stated, this is among the absolute best Vin Santos I have ever had the pleasure of tasting. 94
DECEMBER 2020
Tenuta di Capezzana Villa di Capezzana di Carmignano DOCG 2016
Made with organic fruit, the 2016 Carmignano Villa di Capezzana is an 80/20 blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine is open and accessible, showing a graceful and pure quality of fruit with dark cherry, blackberry, spice, tar and tobacco. The mouthfeel is streamlined and compact, but what this wine lacks in power it makes up for in elegance. This sample from 2016 was sent along with a bottle from 2010 so that I could track its impressive bottle evolution. In fact, I widened my suggested drinking window after tasting that older bottle. 92
JULY 2018
Tenuta di Capezzana Barco Reale di Carmignano DOC 2016
As always, this is quite exotic with notes of dried sage, dark cherries, mulberries, cedar and red licorice. Full body with round tannins, showing good grip and a medium-long finish. Drink or hold. Made from organically grown grapes. |