Castell` in Villa - small winery in Tuscany with rare wines and an unusual history

The Italian winery Castell in Villa is surrounded by romantic green hills in the typical Tuscan landscape. The history of the associated village with its few scattered houses and a medieval tower goes back to the 13th century. Today the village, including wine-growing, belongs to the municipality of Castelnuovo Berardenga, around 20 kilometers from Siena. The fort was built in the Middle Ages to protect the former city-state of Siena in the middle of the hills. Wine growing has been practiced here in the shade of the cypress trees for centuries and a number of wineries have sprung up. The Castell area in Villa, which today covers around 300 hectares, was not originally part of it and was put into operation with a delay in 1967. Today it is one of the most famous wineries in this region because of the high quality of its wines. In the motherland of Chianti Classico, this well-known Tuscan wine variety also plays a major role here. Other varieties such as Vin Santo, Toscana Rosso and Rosé are also produced. The winery has been owned by a noblewoman named Princess Coralia Pignatelli della Leonessa for more than 50 years.

Founded in the late 1960's by a Greek noblewoman

The history of Castell in Villa is highly unusual and not quite so typical of the region. Because the territory of Castelnuovo Berardenga has been known for its wineries since the Middle Ages because of the favorable soil and climate, but it hasn't been on this area for a long time. The green hills were not used until the late 1960s when Princess Coralia, daughter of a Greek nobleman, fell in love with the medieval wine-growing village with an imposing tower in the middle. Without further ado, she decided to buy the entire complex with her Italian husband in order to produce wine there. According to an anecdote, the father mocked the Greek princess because his daughter allegedly had no idea about country life, viticulture or working as a winemaker. Princess Coralia and her late husband proved all the critics wrong and, as the new owners, made Castell in Villa a little celebrity in this growing region with worldwide respect. The now elderly founder has retired from day-to-day business and now lives in the famous tower in the middle of the village.

Rare Wines: Only 54 hectares of vines on 300 hectares of vines

From the very beginning, the winery operators attached great importance to ecological compatibility and careful handling of the surrounding nature. To date, of the approximately 300 hectares, only 54 are planted with vines and another 32 hectares with flowers. The rest is covered by the ancient trees of the local forests. Preserving biodiversity in harmony with nature and cultivating a small but fine stock of wines are more important here than profit at any price. The motto is quality instead of mass, and the success proves the winemakers right: the wine in bottles from the 90s and even 70s is surprisingly perfectly preserved. The rarities of these renowned winemakers from Tuscany are sold out quickly: The prices for a bottle of wine vary between around 30 and several hundred euros, depending on the vintage and type. Since many vintages are sold out immediately due to the limited supply, prices are constantly rising.

Produce rare top-class wine from the original Tuscan grape variety Sangiovese

By far the most common grape variety cultivated by Castell in Villa is Sangiovese, the "blood of Jupiter" and characteristic of the region. Based on these grapes, the owners produce the famous Chianti Classico in different versions, also as Chianti Classico Riserva. Other wines from this estate include a Santa Croce made from Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. However, the focus of the winegrowers is still on the Chianti Classico wines, which are characteristic of this growing area and are very popular because of their high quality. The production takes place in harmony with traditionally proven and technically modern criteria. The basis is the extremely careful handling of the grapes. The maceration, the careful release of tannins and aromas from the berries and skins of the grapes, takes place in modern stainless steel containers, the actual aging traditionally in oak barrels. The result is extremely complex wines of harmonious quality and elegance that make Castell in Villa so coveted by discerning wine connoisseurs around the world.