Podere Capaccia - all wines for tasting

Podere Capaccia - all the wines to know

Contents of the get-to-know package

• 2 x Podere Capaccia Chianti Classico DOCG 2019
• 1 x Podere Capaccia Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG 2016
• 1 x Podere Capaccia Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG 2017
• 1 x Podere Capaccia Capaccia Toscana Rosso IGT 2016
• 1 x Podere Capaccia Capaccia Toscana Rosso IGT 2017

Small winery - surrounded by big names

On the way from Radda in Chianti to Podere Capaccia, you drive through a small valley - lined on the left and right by well-known and multi-award winning wineries. At the end of the valley, a narrow dirt road, a "strada bianca", takes you up a fairly steep hill. And if you think to yourself, "I'm in the wrong place...", you're in the right place! At 550 meters of altitude you arrive at Podere Capaccia. Six buildings, built in the 12th and in the 14th century, together forming a "Podere" - that is, a medieval hamlet - are the heart of Capaccia. After World War II, Capaccia, then owned by the Contiginori family, stood empty for decades. In 1970 Gianpaolo Pacini bought the estate and brought new fame to Capaccia with the wine "Querciagrande", which was mentioned in the same breath as the famous Supertuscans of the 90s. Today some buildings  are very dilapidated or almost non-existent. Herman de Bode, the current owner is painstakingly renovating the historic buildings to breathe new life into them in the coming years. 

The small but fine assortment

Three fine wines are produced at Podere Capaccia. The Chianti Classico, made from pure Sangiovese, presents itself fruity, elegant and beautifully structured, typical of the wines from the Radda area. The Chianti Classico Riserva, also made from one hundred percent Sangiovese, comes from vineyards that were already planted in 2007 and is somewhat stronger, more structured and very elegant. Number three in the Capaccia bunch is the Capaccia IGT, the Toscano Rosso, which consists of  50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet Franc and 25% Sangiovese. Typical of wineries in Tuscany, however, are olive trees, also found here at Capaccia. From the varieties Leccino, Moraiolo, Frantoio is obtained an elegant olive oil, with delicate fruit and pepper aromas. 

New vineyards, new cellars, new wines

In 2011/2012 the vineyards were replanted - with Sangiovese, the autochthonous grape variety of Chianti, but also with Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Since 2011, California-born oenologist Alyson Morgan has been in charge of wine at Podere Capaccia. Her mission: to bring the cellar, vineyards & Co. up to date. As an agronomist and "for everything else there is to do at the winery", Alyson is assisted by Donato. He has already been working at Capaccia for almost 20 years and knows the land, the people and their peculiarities like the back of his hand. In 2015, under Alyson's direction, the new underground wine cellar was built. With newly planted vineyards, the newly built winery and the combined forces of Tuscany, California and Belgium, the estate is now experiencing its second renaissance.

Podere Capaccia's four hectares of vineyards, three of which are currently under cultivation, are located high on the hills of Radda in Chianti and provide the ideal conditions for growing grapes. The soils are composed mainly of sandstone, limestone and slate, and have exceptional drainage and structure that allow deep root growth. The climatic conditions are also ideal: The southern exposure of the vineyards and the associated sunlight allow the grapes to ripen perfectly. And with an average altitude of 550 meters above sea level, the lower nighttime temperatures provide the necessary cooling even during the hot summer months. All these factors together ensure a slow and balanced ripening of the fruit.