Manufacturer: Fonterutolli

Already known by the Etruscans and subsequently referred to in Roman times as "Fons Rutolae" and "Fons Rutilant", it was considered a stopping-off point where travelers between Florence and Siena could find refreshment. It was here, in 998, that Otto III, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, issued an edict transferring the possessions of the church of Arezzo to the Siena Committee. Fonterutoli was again the site, in 1202 and 1208, of the signing of the peace treaties that determined the historicassignment of the Chianti region to the Republic of Florence. With regard to this, there is a popular legend saying that in the first years of the thirteenth century, the lords of Florence and Siena, exhausted by the endless wars over the Chianti region, agreed that the borders would be defined by a horse race: the riders would start at the crowing of the cock, one from Florence and the other from Siena. The border would be set at the place of their meeting. The Florentines chose a little black rooster, skinny and starved, who crowed constantly out of hunger. The morning of the race, this rooster crowed long before dawn, which permitted the Florentine rider to start out with a great advantage and to cover far more distance before meeting his opposite number, almost on the outskirts of Siena, at Fonterutoli, to be exact. Fact or fiction though this may be, Florence did indeed define its border at Fonterutoli, aligned with Castellina, Radda and Gaiole, and formed the Chianti Military and Administrative League, whose symbol was a black rooster. Fonterutoli is located 5 km south of Castellina in Chianti (Siena), on the hills facing the Val d'Elsa, in the heart of the Chianti Classico. Owned by the Mazzei family since 1435, it still retains its original form, that of a tranquil country village: a cluster of houses, the church of San Miniato and the villa, built at the end of the 1500s where the medieval castle once stood. Today, the estate boasts a total surface area of 650 hectares, of which 117 are devoted to specialized vineyards, divided between five areas: Fonterutoli, Siepi, Badiola, Belvedere and Caggio, located at between 230 and 500 meters above sea level and exposed to the south and southwest. The soil structure is the result of the disintegration of limestone and sandstone boulders and is very rocky, so much so that Fonterutoli wine is also known as "vino dei sassi", or rock wine. These conditions require respect for the delicate environmental balance and a production volume of less than 40 hl per hectare, which guarantees high quality and a distinctive character. The vineyards’ perfect exposure to sunlight, the excellent pedological and microclimatic conditions and the density of the vines, progressively brought up to over 7,000 plants per hectare, result in the production of complex, elegant and powerful wines. The Sangiovese grape, created by careful massale and clonal selection, finds itself particularly at home in the four areas of production, expressing its fullest potential: marked aromas and elegance in the highest areas (Fonterutoli and Badiola), structure and potency in the lower ones (Siepi and Belvedere). All the main cultivation operations - pruning, tying, stripping leaves and thinning out the bunches – are done by hand. The harvest is also carried out entirely by hand, at different times for each section, in order to ensure that the grapes reach the cellars at the optimal degree of maturation. Vinification in special steel vats shaped like truncated cones and reliance on crushing of grapes, yields an exceptional color extraction, with extremely mild, fine tannins and the preservation of all the aromatic components. Once the initial fermentation is terminated, the wines are aged in small oak casks, where they complete their malolactic fermentation. All the stages, from fermentation to ageing in wooden casks, are carried out independently by each vineyard and type of grape, to guarantee an ample spectrum of variations. Shortly after blending, the wines are bottled, then aged for another few months before being sent off to the world’s most important markets. The character of the wines of the Castello di Fonterutoli has been perfected over the years thanks to continual innovation, in harmony with the winery’s culture, history and heritage of technical expertise. The oil-making sector shouldn’t be overlooked, either: the estate boasts over 3,500 olive trees of four varieties - frantoio, leccino, moraiolo and pendolino, from which the Castello di Fonterutoli Extra Virgin Olive Oil Chianti Classico DOP is made, of extraordinary fineness and character. At Fonterutoli, in addition, Carla Mazzei devotes her energies to the cultivation of Lavender, whose essence is the basis of an intriguing line of cosmetic products, which bear her name. Fonterutoli is a complex and diversified reality, with a distinct personality. Considered one of the most important companies in the Chianti Classico and indeed in all of Italy, it is always alertly on the lookout for cutting-edge quality, in the vineyards and the wine cellars alike. Because of its location, Fonterutoli is also the ideal point of departure for cultural and panoramic tours of the most unspoiled areas of the Chianti region.