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CAPEZZANA

TUSCANY

CAPEZZANA

TUSCANY



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ABOUT THE WINERY

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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WINERY LOCATION: TUSCANY
REGION: Barco Reale di Carmignano DOC, Carmignano DOCG, Toscana IGT
VINEYARD LAND: 197 acres (80 ha) Estate: 670 acres (271 ha)
FARMING PRACTICES: Certified Organic
GRAPE VARIETIES: Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Canaiolo, Merlot, Syrah, Chardonnay, Trebbiano, San Colombano
WINE STYLES: Dry red still, Dry Rosato, Sweet still
TOTAL WINE PRODUCTION: 400,000 - 450,000 bottles per year
YEAR FOUNDED: 804
OWNER(S): Contini Bonacossi Family
WINEMAKER(S): Benedetta Contini Bonacossi

WINES

TENUTA DI CAPEZZANA BARCO REALE DI CARMIGNANO DOC

Named after the historic Medici property known as "Barco Reale" - meaning Royal Property - which was established in 1626. Today Sangiovese, Cabernet and Canaiolo grow in this ancient area that was a hunting preserve surrounded by walls over 30 miles long.  Barco Reale is a younger version of Carmignano that received DOC status in 1994.

TENUTA DI CAPEZZANA VILLA DI CAPEZZANA DI CARMIGNANO DOCG

With vintages dating back to 1925 in their cellar, Villa di Capezzana is the flagship wine of the Tenuta di Capezzana estate and representative of Carmignano's greatest quality. Created as one of the very first protected wine-producing regions in Italy, the history of Carmignano dates back to 1716 when Cosimo III de' Medici granted the area special legal protections which prohibited other regions from using the name "Carmignano" for their wines.  

TENUTA DI CAPEZZANA TREFIANO CARMIGNANO DOCG RISERVA

Made in only the best vintages, the grapes for the Trefiano Carmignano Riserva come from five hectares of vineyards that surround the historic Villa di Trefiano located in the Carmignano DOCG.  Belonging to the Rucellai family, construction on the Villa was started in the 15th century.  The family lost favor with the Tuscan Grand Dukes shortly thereafter and were sent into exile and the Villa was never finished.  In the early 1920's the Conti Bonacossi family bought the Villa and finally completed its construction.

TENUTA DI CAPEZZANA GHIAIE DELLA FURBA TOSCANA IGT

In 1979 Ugo Conti Bonacossi created Ghiaie della Furba from vineyards planted among the pebble (Ghiaie) rich soils of the Furba stream.  Originally planted with clippings from the famed Chateau Lafite estate in Bordeaux, the wine was made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot until the blend was changed in 1998 with the addition of Syrah.  The inclusion of Cabernet Franc was slowly discontinued and today the blend includes Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah and is made only in the best vintages.  

TENUTA DI CAPEZZANA "VIN RUSPO" ROSATO DI CARMIGNANO DOC

Rosato di Carmignano DOC has its origins in the ancient tradition of sharecropping. Farmers were known to siphon off or “ruspare” a quantity of the landowner’s pooled grape must for their own consumption. As the must would be taken in the early stages of fermentation, it was only lightly colored. Today it is still the brief contact with the skins that gives this wine its beautiful pink color. The Capezzana Vin Ruspo made with Sangiovese, Cabernet and Canaiolo, is both vibrant and elegant.

TENUTA DI CAPEZZANA VIN SANTO DI CARMIGNANO DOC RISERVA

This exceptional dessert or ‘meditation’ wine is made from selected white grapes, mainly Trebbiano, which are dried for several months in the traditional manner on cane matting. The must is then fermented and matured for over six years in cherry wood, oak and chestnut kegs. The yield is very low: from 1/4 to 1/5 of the original weight of the grapes. Small production. 

LOCATION


WINERY:
Carmignano, Prato, Tuscany

VINEYARD:
Carmignano, Tuscany

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NEWS AND REVIEWS FROM OUR FRIENDS IN THE INDUSTRY



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94
FEBRUARY 2023
Tenuta di Capezzana Villa di Capezzana di Carmignano DOCG 2013

The library release 2013 Carmignano Villa di Capezzana Dieci Anni is a total pleasure on the nose, finely detailed with rich plum sauce and crushed cherry notes complicated by flowery underbrush, mint and old cedar spice box hints. It's supple and silky on the palate, with juicy acidity enlivening its ripe red fruits as a flourish of rosy inner florals and cedar evolve toward the close. While still lightly structured with adolescent tannins, the 2013 is so enjoyable today, tapering off with licorice and confectionary spice echoing that linger on and on. There's no harm in cracking open bottles today or losing them in the cellar to enjoy over the next decade.

94
APRIL 2021
Tenuta di Capezzana Villa di Capezzana di Carmignano DOCG 2015

The 2015 Carmignano Villa di Capezzana is bright, lifted and full of personality. Sweet red berry fruit, blood orange, mint, sage and dried flowers all grace this juicy, mid-weight wine. The 2015 is impeccably balanced and a joy to taste.

92
APRIL 2023
Tenuta di Capezzana Villa di Capezzana di Carmignano DOCG 2019

A blend of 80% Sangiovese and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon from the small Tuscan DOCG of Carmignano, matured for 12-16 months in a blend of tonneaux and botti. Concentrated and spicy, it's full of perfumed dried fruits and violets, with dusty notes of tobacco and earth on the finish.

Bruce Sand
MAY 2023
Tenuta di Capezzana Villa di Capezzana di Carmignano DOCG 2013

This is the 10 Anni Library re-release of this vintage. This is maturing nicely, with ripe, sweet black currant, blackberry and black cherry core flavors accented by spice, leather, mineral and woodsy flavors. Complex, balanced and long, with an aftertaste echoing the fruit and savory elements. Drink now through 2037. From Italy.

93
JUNE 2022
Tenuta di Capezzana Ghiaie della Furba Toscana IGT 2018

Blackcurrant and crushed stone with some flint on the nose and palate. Lead pencil, too. Medium-bodied with tight, chewy tannins that are polished. Juicy finish. From organically grown grapes. Better after 2023.

94
MAY 2023
Tenuta di Capezzana Ghiaie della Furba Toscana IGT 2019

Powerful and polished, the 2019 is another excellent Ghiaie della Furba.  With the same blend as the 2016, Cabernet Sauvignon (40%), Syrah (35%) and Merlot, this youthful dynamo displays haunting peppery accents that balance the deep, plum-like black fruit nuances.  Finely honed firm tannins add to its appeal and impart balancing structure without astringency.  Fresh and lively, it has a graceful and persistent finish.  

92
DECEMBER 2021
Tenuta di Capezzana Ghiaie della Furba Toscana IGT 2017

The 2017 Ghiaie della Furba opens to a bouquet of minty herbs, camphor and smoke before deepening further to display dusty red currant and spice box. This is velvety and fleshy in feel, with stimulating acidity that enlivens its spicy black fruit and building mineral tones. It tapers off with persistence, power and grippy tannin, the perfect mix for a long evolution. The Ghiaie della Furba is a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Syrah and 20% Merlot that refines in barrique, half new and half second pass. It's important to note that production was down by 40% in 2017 due to frost.

96
DECEMBER 2020
Tenuta di Capezzana Vin Santo di Carmignano DOC Riserva 2012

What a beauty. The Tenuta di Capezzana 2012 Vin Santo di Carmignano Riserva (packaged in a 375-milliliter bottle) inches forth from the tiny bottle slowly and ultimately reveals a spectacular color that is orange, copper and almost green at the same time. I tasted bottle number 962 of a precious 4,968 produced. This Vin Santo puts on a real show thanks to its rich viscosity that slides, shifts and glistens in the glass. There are many aromas to describe, and it is hard to do this wine justice given how quickly they shift and change. There is honey, brown sugar, dried herb, forest mushroom, caramel and tilled earth. I even got a hint of rubber boot. This is a work of art and a clear passion project. Assigning a numerical score to an aspirational wine like this somehow misses the point, but here goes nothing.