Castello Nipozzano is a 14th-century castle located above the town of Pelago in the Metropolitan City of Florence in the Tuscany region of Italy, about miles (20 kms) east of Florence. The castle was built to guard Florence. Its 600ha+ estate falls within the Chianti Rufinà DOCG. It has been owned by the Tuscan Frescobaldi winemaking family since in the 19th-century when the daughter of winemaker Marchese Vittorio degli Albizi married a Frescobaldi (Burton Anderson: 1980, p.239). ‘Artists such as Donatello and Michelozzo bought wine from the estate. It was destroyed in 1944, then partially rebuilt. You can still see the original cellar at the renaissance villa.
Owner: Marchesi Frescobaldi.
Staff: Piemontese technical director, Luciano Boarino, was a key figure here.
Vineyards: 300ha of vines. Of these, 230ha are Chianti Rufinà DOCG.
the Costa di Nugola, 92ha of vines on a 127ha property in the Livorno area.
Terroir: Overlooking the Arno river valley. Chardonnay is grown at 500m, Merlot at 150m. I was told the soil types for the Rufina wines are on ‘clay and Sasso Bianco’ (Visit 2021). The fact sheet for the 2000 Riserva gave the terroir as ‘Dry and stony, with clay, limestone, well drained, poor in organic matter.’
Irrigation: ‘Castello di Nipozzano is equipped with a very accurate irrigation system in which a drop of water is released from a thin pipe into the soil when the temperatures get too high. This allows for the prevention of potential damage caused by drought and extremely hot weather, such as stress on the vines,’ according to the estate’s 2003 vintage report.
Organics: ‘A’ grade vines here are organic or going organic Lamberto Frescobaldi told me (3rd December, 2015 at Castelgiocondo). The top two sites were being farmed organically in 2021 (visit) and were on stony soils with clay beneath with galestro too (it seems). ‘Vary varied soils and aspects. Lots of organic matter is added to the soil for new plantations.
Biodiversity: Chickens, pigeons, rabbits, Chianina and Angus cows (Visit 2021).
Other Activities: Olives. On-site olive oil press.
Climate change: ‘Wetter springs,’ (Visit 2021).
Cover crops: Barley (Hordeum vulgare), broad beens (Vicia faba), oats (Avena sativa), legumes.
Winery: Monumental cellars in which the Chianti Rùfina ages. Tasting room in an old kitchen.
Wine style, winemaking: ‘Want soft extraction due to clay soils. Tannins with an edge, need 5–6 years in bottle,’ I was told (Visit 2021).
Red wines
Chianti Rufinà DOCG, Castello Nipozzano:
Chianti Rufinà DOCG Riserva, Castello Nipozzano: 2015 Bronze (DWWA 2019). | 2018 75% Sangiovese and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Canaiolo Nero. 13.5% alc. Destemmed. Fermentation in thermo-regulated stainless steel and cement vats. Racked. MLF in steel. 24 months in second fill Stockinger oak. A red with a lovely darkish red hue matched with equally bright and dark red fruit aromas. On the palate it is nicely compact with a coherent interplay between fruit and tannin leaving a mouthwatering feel (July 2021).
Chianti Rufinà DOCG Riserva, Castello Nipozzano, Vecchie Viti: Old vine bottling. | 2017 14% alc. Sangiovese. Canaiolo Nero, Colorino del Valdarno, Malvasia Nera. Smooth red fruit, light bodied yet with palpable juiciness and depth, very enjoyable and with no lack of sophistication.
Chianti Rufinà DOCG Riserva, Vigna Montesodi: This has not always been bottled as Chianti Rufinà DOCG but returned to the fold in 2017. Single vineyard Sangiovese. From the estate’s highest vines at 450m. Planted in 1974 and 2011.| 1974 (debut). | 1978. | 1979. | 1981. | 1982. | 1983. |1985. | 1986. |1987. | 1990 23 months in oak. 48,500 bottles. 2007 14.5%. | 2017 13.5%. Aged 18 months in French oak barrels and Slavonian oak vats. | 2019 14% alc. ‘Cool spring, wet. Slightly lower than usual yield. Drink 2025-35,’ I was told (Visit 2021). Quite tannic but juicy, good weight and texture, mouthwatering. Drink 2025-2035 (Visit 2021). | 2020 From vat: Juicy, fine, salty. Hot season. Some hail. OK year. Very good wine (Visit 2021). | 2017 Bottled. 13.5%. Bright, light rasperry robe. Smooth red fruit and tannins to match in a light to medium red with underlying insistency allied to a natural, elegant juiciness (28 October 2021).| 2018 100% Sangiovese. Matured in 30hl barrels.
Chianti Rufina DOCG Riserva Vigneto Montesodi: 2006 Produced.
Chianti Rufina DOCG Riserva Vigna Montesodi: 2018 100% Sangiovese. Matured in 30hl barrels.
Toscana Rosso IGT Mormoreto: Single vineyard planted in 1976. Bordeaux-style blend. | 2015 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot. | 2017 Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, Petit Verdot. 14.5%. Matured in 30hl barrels.
Other activities: Grappa di Chianti Rufina.
Contact
Castello Nipozzano
Località Nipozzano, 50060 Pelago (FI), Italy