Castell'in Villa

Castell'in Villa is a medieval settlement in Castelnuovo Berardenga, near Siena. The first document of its existence dates to August 1176, when the community formally became part of the Municipality of Siena, and the tower and the San Cristoforo Church still stand. In 1968 Riccardo and Coralia Pignatelli della Leonessa purchased the estate, about 300 hectares, and carried out a careful, conservative restoration. The property was meant to be a holiday home; Coralia's first vintage was 1972, and the turning point came five years later when she met the oenologist Giacomo Tachis. The settlement of Gazzara, which belonged to the Clarisse nuns in the 15th century, is part of the estate and has been restored for guest accommodation.

• Estate purchased in 1968 by Riccardo and Coralia Pignatelli della Leonessa
• About 300 hectares in total
• First vintage 1972
• Earliest document of the settlement dates to August 1176

As of October 2018, Coralia Pignatelli della Leonessa, known throughout Tuscany as La Principessa, was the owner of Castell'in Villa. At that time she was supervising the reconstruction of her cellars and advising the visiting cooper on where to place each of the giant Slavonian vats, called botti, in which her wines are aged. Her meeting with the oenologist Giacomo Tachis, five years after her first vintage, marked the estate's turning point.

• Coralia Pignatelli della Leonessa: owner (as of October 2018)
• Known throughout Tuscany as La Principessa
• Giacomo Tachis: oenologist Coralia met five years after her first vintage

The property covers about 300 hectares, with 48 hectares (120 acres) of vines as of 2018. Castell'in Villa's main aim is producing high-quality wines from low-yield vineyards. The vines for the Chianti Classico sit between 250 and 320 metres above sea level with an average age of 10 to 15 years, and the Riserva comes from vines 15 to 25 years old with north-west and south-east exposures at 250 to 320 metres. Poggio delle Rose is the estate's cru, grafted with old Sangiovese budwood from Castell'in Villa itself; its vines average 25 years of age and face south and south-east at 350 metres. The Santacroce vineyards average 15 to 20 years of age, with south and south-east exposures at 250 to 320 metres.

• About 300-hectare estate; 48 hectares (120 acres) of vines as of 2018
• Chianti Classico vines at 250 to 320 metres, average age 10 to 15 years
• Poggio delle Rose cru: vines averaging 25 years, south and south-east exposures, 350 metres
• Main aim: high-quality wines from low-yield vineyards

Chianti Classico and Chianti Classico Riserva are the estate's main wines, with the Riserva 'IN selection within the Riserva category, alongside Santacroce, Poggio delle Rose, and a Vin Santo del Chianti Classico made in limited amounts. The Chianti Classico DOCG is 100% Sangiovese, blended from several of the estate's vineyards, and the Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG is 100% Sangiovese from the best bunches. Riserva 'IN is produced only in the best vintages, in a limited number of bottles. Poggio delle Rose is a Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG from the estate's cru. Santacroce is a Toscana IGT of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Sangiovese, classified IGT because its winemaking method does not comply with the local DOCG rules. The Vin Santo del Chianti Classico DOC is a white made in limited quantities from hand-picked Trebbiano and Malvasia grapes, dried for three or four months before vinification. The lineup also lists La Gazzara Rosato Toscana IGT and Marcolfo Cabernet Sauvignon Toscana IGT.

• Chianti Classico DOCG and Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG, both 100% Sangiovese
• Riserva 'IN: produced only in the best vintages
• Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG Poggio delle Rose: from the estate's cru
• Toscana Rosso IGT Santacroce: 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 50% Sangiovese
• Vin Santo del Chianti Classico DOC, La Gazzara Rosato Toscana IGT, Marcolfo Cabernet Sauvignon Toscana IGT

Alcoholic fermentation for the Chianti Classico, Riserva, Poggio delle Rose and Santacroce is started with indigenous yeasts in steel tanks at 28 to 30°C. The Chianti Classico and Riserva then rest in large oak casks (grandi botti di rovere), while Poggio delle Rose and Santacroce mature first in Allier barriques and then in large oak casks and are bottled without filtration. Castell'in Villa describes its Chianti Classico as capturing "the fruit of the Sangiovese grapes and the earthy, spicy and slightly wild traces of the soil" and calls it "an unusually concentrated Chianti Classico, that will invariably benefit from age." The estate describes Santacroce as "combining both the old and new styles of contemporary wine making." Jancis Robinson wrote in 2018 that Castell'in Villa had "steadfastly remained true to the Sangiovese character of Chianti Classico" and called the 2010 Riserva "a marvel of subtlety, composure, integration and freshness."

• Indigenous-yeast fermentation in steel tanks at 28 to 30°C
• Chianti Classico and Riserva aged in large oak casks
• Poggio delle Rose and Santacroce: Allier barriques, then large oak casks; bottled unfiltered
• Vin Santo released no earlier than 1 November of the third year after harvest

Castell'in Villa offers guided tastings throughout the year by request and subject to limited availability, including a library vintage tasting for groups of at least four that features Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG Poggio delle Rose 2010 and Toscana Rosso IGT Santacroce 2009. The Castell'in Villa Restaurant opens for special occasions, by reservation. The Cavalieri di Castell'in Villa are partner restaurants and wine shops across Italy where Castell'in Villa Chianti Classico can be found by the glass or in older vintages.

• Guided tastings by request, subject to limited availability
• Restaurant opens for special occasions, by reservation
• Cavalieri di Castell'in Villa: partner restaurants and wine shops across Italy

Primary sources (producer's own site): https://castellinvilla.com/en/history/, https://castellinvilla.com/en/wine/, https://castellinvilla.com/en/cavalieri-di-castellin-villa/, https://castellinvilla.com/en/experience/, https://castellinvilla.com/en/restaurant/, https://castellinvilla.com/vini/, https://castellinvilla.com/storia/. Secondary sources: Consorzio Vino Chianti Classico estate listing (https://www.chianticlassico.com/en/estates/castellin-villa/); Jancis Robinson, "Chianti Classico on a roll" (https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/chianti-classico-roll, October 2018). Where the producer's site and a secondary source disagree, the producer's site governs. Last verified 2026-10-12