Francesco Mazzei

In this episode we visit Castello di Fonterutoli just south of Chianti Classico. It’s on this spot, that the riders of the legend of the black rooster met. The tiny hamlet no loner houses the winery, it is still home to the Mazzei family’s agroturismo and osteria (a great place to have a traditional, highly regional dinner!). The new winery is a modern, high tech winemaking facility, built into the hillside that still uses time honored traditions of vinification. The Mazzei family has been involved in the wine business for 24 generation and holds a unique place in U.S. history. It is said that Philip Mazzei inspired Thomas Jefferson to write that “All men are by nature equally free and independent.” Today brothers Francesco and Filippo continue the family’s legacy of making great wine. I met with Francesco at the winery south of Castellina in Chianti to discuss the family’s heritage, the importance of Chianti Classico and of course to taste some delicious wine. The Mazzei family is, rightfully and proudly, a cornerstone of Chianti oenology with a centuries-long history in the world of viticulture and commerce. The brothers Filippo and Francesco Mazzei are the current owners, and both are managing directors: the former oversees the estate's production, while the latter is responsible for marketing. Mazzei di Fonterutoli is one of the Tuscan families whose history is intertwined with that of the land in which, from almost immemorial times, they have their roots: a dynasty which, together with that of the Ricasolis, is most intimately linked to Chianti. The grapes from each parcel are processed separately to give rise to a series of microvinifications that, combined with the use of fulling and long maceration, produce wines with remarkable colour extraction and particularly soft and elegant tannins. The building, incidentally, is part of the Toscana Wine Architecture project.