“Il Caggio IPSUS” Chianti Classico Gran Selezione DOCG 2022 · 3 bottles in OWC

Castello di Fonterutoli | Il Caggio | Tuscany
Marchesi Mazzei S.p.A. Agr. | V. Ottone III di Sassonia 5 | IT 53011 Castellina

09354822 · 2,25 l · 497,78 €/l · Price (DE) incl. VAT, excl. Shipping1 unit available
Limitation of 1 articles per customer

On 16 December 1398, the notary Ser Lapo Mazzei and the merchant Francesco Datini of Prato exchanged letters. According to the family's account, this correspondence is the first document to refer to Chianti as a wine-growing region. The Chianti region is thus first recorded in official documents through business correspondence. In 1435, the Castello di Fonterutoli came into the family's possession through Lapo's granddaughter, Madonna Smeralda, and has been passed down through twenty-five generations ever since. In 2006, the family acquired Il Caggio, a medieval hamlet near Castellina in Chianti. Giovanni Mazzei, Filippo's eldest son, chose this as the birthplace for a Sangiovese without precedent, as the estate describes it.

The Gran Selezione comes from a single enclave: 6.5 hectares at altitudes between 310 and 361 metres, facing from south-east to south-west, predominantly south-west. An oak forest encloses the vines, preventing them from growing beyond their boundaries, whilst providing coolness and a breeze in summer. Beneath the vines lies calcareous clay, along with Upper Cretaceous marl, interspersed with fragments of Alberese. The walls of the hamlet contain red rock: its colour is reflected in the capsule of every bottle, and the estate links this to Leonardo da Vinci's red chalk drawings. The land is divided into six plots: Cantina di Sopra, Cantina di Sotto, Pero, Campaccio di Sopra, Campaccio di Sotto and Orto. Sangiovese is planted in clones resulting from around fifty years of research, including four mass selections developed by the Mazzei family themselves, three clones from the Chianti Classico selection, as well as F9 and T19. Clones and plots are vinified separately, after which the wine rests for years in the cellar, a small, elegant room. The architect Agnese Mazzei brought together craftsmen from Fonterutoli for this purpose, including the metalworker Tommaso and the joiner Davide.

Delicate, silky tannins, accompanied by red berries, cherries and blood orange zest. Violets, roses and lavender, accompanied by subtle spice and stone dust. The texture is densely woven, the finish long and juicy, and every aspect of this wine is geared towards ageing. The estate attests to its courage, a touch of arrogance and the soul of a dreamer. A postscript sealed in red to a letter from 1398 – and by no means the last great wine to come from here. SUPERIORE.DE

"A brilliant ruby red with a subtly lighter rim. On the nose, initial notes of precious wood and sealing wax; after some time in the glass, sweet spicy notes, dried tomato, along with ripe berry fruit, also reminiscent of red-cheeked peach and cherry. On the palate, it has a gripping attack, displaying real character with compact acidity, accompanied by tightly woven tannins which are slightly rough on the finish. Patience!" Falstaff

"The 2022 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Ipsus is a successful successor to the outstanding 2021 vintage, produced in a far less favourable year. Powerful and juicy, the 2022 displays the full textural richness of the vintage right from the start. With a little patience, ripe red fruit and spicy undertones emerge. The tannins are still somewhat firm and need time to develop. A magnificent wine." Vinous

Luscious and ripe aromas of plum and sandalwood with dried flowers and crushed stone, terracotta. Fragrant. The palate is medium-bodied with an open character. Really creamy and refined with a powdered stone mouthfeel. Dusty. Fine velvet texture and a rather endless finish. Excellent for a hot and dry growing season. It is so good it makes you want to finish the bottle, even alone. Drink or hold." James Suckling