This is polished and beautiful with flower, dark fruit and stone character. Full body, integrated tannins and a refined and persistent finish. Some black truffle character in the aftertaste. Classy wine. Cabernet and sangiovese. Better in 2015.
MENU
|
![]() |
WINE LOCATOR
SEARCH
|
Few wineries in the world possess the stature, respect and devotion that the Contini Bonacossi family has cultivated and maintained over five generations with their Tenuta di Capezzana winery. The estate is located 12 miles west of Florence in the Carmignano sub-zone, one of the oldest recognized wine producing areas in Tuscany. Ancient Etruscan artifacts have shown that grapevines were cultivated in the area for wine production over 3,000 years ago. The first reference to Capezzana dates to 804 A.D. An ancient parchment stored at the Florentine state archives shows the granting of a lease of vineyards and olive groves for the cultivation of wine and olive oil to a place called Capezzana.
Over the centuries, the estate passed through several families. But the story of today’s Capezzana started when the Count Alessandro Contini Bonacossi and his family returned to Italy after living in Spain and purchased the estate from Raimondo Franchetti’s widow, Sara de Rothschild, in 1920. Not content with this original holding, Count Alessandro acquired the two neighboring farms, “The Poggetto” and “Trefiano,” dividing the property into three distinct estates with more than 120 poderi. The winery was dedicated to the production of high-quality wine and olive oil with the first vintage of Villa di Capezzana in 1925.
Augusto, Alessandro’s son, took over the management of the estate and in 1945, his son, Ugo, joined him. Ugo had completed a degree in Agriculture before heading to the War, and he was devoted to increasing the quality of the family’s wines – a notable endeavor during a time when most producers were still selling their grapes by weight. It was Ugo’s vision that gradually moved the estate away from sharecropping towards a modern-day winery.
|
LOCATIONWINERY: Carmignano, Prato, Tuscany VINEYARD: Carmignano, Tuscany VIEW IN GOOGLE MAPS REGION DETAILS |
|
93
OCTOBER 2014
Tenuta di Capezzana Villa di Capezzana di Carmignano DOCG 2010
![]() This is polished and beautiful with flower, dark fruit and stone character. Full body, integrated tannins and a refined and persistent finish. Some black truffle character in the aftertaste. Classy wine. Cabernet and sangiovese. Better in 2015. 90
APRIL 2021
Tenuta di Capezzana Barco Reale di Carmignano DOC 2016
![]() The 2016 Barco Reale di Carmignano is fabulous. Deep, rich and inviting, the 2016 is such a pleasure to taste today. Succulent black cherry, licorice, spice, menthol and plum flesh out in a juicy red to drink now and over the next handful of years. The 2016 is a gorgeous wine in its peer group. 94
DECEMBER 2020
Tenuta di Capezzana Villa di Capezzana di Carmignano DOCG 2016
![]() Made with organic fruit, the 2016 Carmignano Villa di Capezzana is an 80/20 blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine is open and accessible, showing a graceful and pure quality of fruit with dark cherry, blackberry, spice, tar and tobacco. The mouthfeel is streamlined and compact, but what this wine lacks in power it makes up for in elegance. This sample from 2016 was sent along with a bottle from 2010 so that I could track its impressive bottle evolution. In fact, I widened my suggested drinking window after tasting that older bottle. 92
MARCH 2021
Tenuta di Capezzana Villa di Capezzana di Carmignano DOCG 2010
![]() Dark and brooding, this powerful red is mellowing, with aromas of fading black cherry and plum, forest floor and leather. Its tannins are still pretty active, but there are ample ripe fruit and mineral notes. Think bistecca or wild boar stew. Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink now through 2032. 250 cases made, 40 cases imported. 94
APRIL 2021
Tenuta di Capezzana Villa di Capezzana di Carmignano DOCG 2015
![]() The 2015 Carmignano Villa di Capezzana is bright, lifted and full of personality. Sweet red berry fruit, blood orange, mint, sage and dried flowers all grace this juicy, mid-weight wine. The 2015 is impeccably balanced and a joy to taste. 96
DECEMBER 2020
Tenuta di Capezzana Vin Santo di Carmignano DOC Riserva 2012
![]() What a beauty. The Tenuta di Capezzana 2012 Vin Santo di Carmignano Riserva (packaged in a 375-milliliter bottle) inches forth from the tiny bottle slowly and ultimately reveals a spectacular color that is orange, copper and almost green at the same time. I tasted bottle number 962 of a precious 4,968 produced. This Vin Santo puts on a real show thanks to its rich viscosity that slides, shifts and glistens in the glass. There are many aromas to describe, and it is hard to do this wine justice given how quickly they shift and change. There is honey, brown sugar, dried herb, forest mushroom, caramel and tilled earth. I even got a hint of rubber boot. This is a work of art and a clear passion project. Assigning a numerical score to an aspirational wine like this somehow misses the point, but here goes nothing. 92
SEPTEMBER 2017
Tenuta di Capezzana Trefiano Carmignano DOCG Riserva 2013
![]() A dense, solid red, with concentrated black cherry, currant, earth and tobacco flavors. The tannins are assertive, but all the elements come together on the muscular finish. Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Canaiolo. Best from 2019 through 2029. 839 cases made. 93
SEPTEMBER 2018
Tenuta di Capezzana Villa di Capezzana di Carmignano DOCG 2015
![]() Fascinating aromas of blueberries, orange peel and watermelon following through to a full body. Round and juicy tannins and a flavorful finish. Lots of toasted oak showing now, but it should come out beautifully with bottle age. Made from organically grown grapes. Try in 2020. |