Castel Nipozzano is the most important estate in the Frescobaldi portfolio dedicated to the Chianti Rufina DOCG, a sub-appellation of Chianti occupying the foothills of the Apennines northeast of Florence around the town of Pontassieve. Chianti Rufina is widely acknowledged as the most age-worthy and structured of the Chianti sub-zones, with its high-altitude vineyards (300 to 600 metres), continental mountain climate and well-drained alberese and galestro soils producing Sangiovese of outstanding longevity and mineral precision. Nipozzano itself has been in Frescobaldi hands since the late nineteenth century and is produced at the estate’s eponymous castle, which also houses the family’s most important historical wine archives.

The Vecchie Viti designation identifies the top selection at Castel Nipozzano, produced from the oldest vine parcels on the estate, which provide fruit of naturally lower yields, greater phenolic complexity and deeper concentration than the standard Nipozzano production. The Riserva classification requires a minimum of 24 months of ageing, including at least six months in bottle, and the Vecchie Viti is aged in both large Slavonian oak casks and smaller French barriques to achieve a balance between oxidative complexity and fresh fruit character. The 2021 Chianti vintage benefited from warm, dry conditions that produced wines of good structure and generous aromatic expression.

Castel Nipozzano is one of the Frescobaldi estates with the deepest critical pedigree within the approved publication system, with Nipozzano Riserva regularly reviewed by Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast and the Wine Advocate across successive vintages. The Vecchie Viti selection occupies the top of this hierarchy and represents the fullest expression of what this historic Rufina estate can produce in quality-forward vintages. The 2021 is a wine that rewards a few years of cellaring to allow the oak integration and Sangiovese tannin structure to resolve into the more harmonious, complex drinking experience that Rufina Riserva wines are celebrated for.

Deep ruby with aromas of dark cherry, plum, leather, clove, tobacco, cedar and the distinct mineral austerity of the Nipozzano galestro. Full-bodied on the palate with firm, well-structured Sangiovese tannins, good natural acidity and a long, savoury finish. Best from 2026 through 2038.