ONE OF THE MOST CELEBRATED NAMES OF CHIANTI CLASSICO WINES, CASTELLO DI FONTERUTOLI OWNED BY MARCHESI MAZZEI, HAS ACQUIRED “IL CAGGIO” ESTATE (150 HECTARES, 45 OF WHICH ARE VINEYARDS) FROM ENOLOGIST-MANAGER EZIO RIVELLA

Castello di Fonterutoli, owned by Marchesi Mazzei, one of the oldest and most celebrated names among Chianti Classico wines, is expanding its horizons. An agreement was just reached for the acquisition of “Il Caggio” – 150 hectares of terrain (45 of which are vineyards) located in the municipality of Castellina in Chianti (Siena). The estate was originally owned by Ezio Rivella, the famous wine manager and principal player in recent historical developments in Italian and Tuscan winemaking. Il Caggio’s vineyards will now be incorporated into the 72 hectares of the Castello di Fonterutoli estate, whose owners, the Mazzei family, have maintained an extraordinary vocation in winemaking since 1435.
The newly acquired terrain possesses exceptional characteristics, like its exposure and its altitude, which create an ideal habitat for Sangiovese grapes. The estate (bought for over 10 million euros, according to rumor) consists of a real estate patrimony including an ancient village that is completely dedicated to high level receptions.
“By ceding the property to the Mazzei family – commented Ezio Rivella – I am certain that I have found the right arrangement for Il Caggio, a property I was particularly fond of. In their hands, the company’s potential will be made the most of and will contribute to projected future success based on historic success that has ancient roots”.
With the annexation of Il Caggio, Castello di Fonterutoli will become an even more important producer of Chianti Classico, not only for its quality – an objective that has already been reached in Italy and abroad – but also on a quantitative level. This strategy also includes the new winery under construction by Fonterutoli, that has been inspired by avant-garde productive and architectural criteria. Not completely finished but partially operative, the new cantina has already been defined by the English magazine Decanter as “the most impressive” in all of Tuscany.
“I have always known Il Caggio - declared Lapo Mazzei, president of Marchesi Mazzei and honorary president of the Chianti Classico Consortium - because its vineyards border ours. Its acquisition constitutes a natural expansion of the Fonterutoli property. For me, it is like a dream come true”.
Besides the Castello di Fonterutoli, Marchesi Mazzei also owns two other wineries: Belguardo, in the Tuscan Maremma, and Zisola, in Noto, south-western Sicily.