Marchesi Mazzei Winery
Buy wines from the Marchesi Mazzei winery
The Marchesi Mazzei are one of the most important winegrowing families in Tuscany, Italy and indeed the entire wine world. Hardly any other dynasty has been producing wines without interruption for almost 600 years.
The family has been closely associated with Tuscany since the 11th century. Ser Lapo Mazzei, who first wrote about Chianti as a wine-growing region in 1398, is famous. However, the real history of the family's viticulture officially began in 1435, when Ser Lapo's granddaughter Madonna Smeralda Mazzei married the nobleman Piero Agnolo di Fonterutoli, who brought his fortress Castello di Fonterutoli into the marriage. The fortress was also a vineyard and was picturesquely situated in Castellina overlooking the Val d'Elsa. Fonterutoli is still the seat of the family today and the most important wine estate with 650 hectares spread over 110 different vineyards. They are located in the municipalities of Castellina di Chianti, Radda in Chianti and Castelnuovo Berardegna at an altitude of 220 to 570 metres. These vineyards cover the most important terroirs of Chianti Classico.
The Fonterutoli vineyard can only be described as „state of the art“. Only a small part is above ground and is mainly used for receiving the grapes. From there, everything is done by gravity in order to process the grapes and wine as gently as possible. The wine is fermented in 74 conical stainless steel tanks, separated by parcel and grape variety, and finally distributed to around 3,000 oak barrels of different sizes and ages at a depth of 15 metres.
The temperature and climate of the cellar are determined by water from natural springs, which is channelled through the cellar. Icons such as the „Siepi“, the „Castello di Fonterutoli“, the „Badiola“ and the „Ser Lapo“ are produced here. But there are two other wineries in the family: Belguardo is located in the Tuscan Maremma, Zisola in Noto in Sicily.
© Images: Marchesi Mazzei Winery
