Among the hills of Chianti Rufina near Florence the Estate of Ancient Vintages extends over 70 hectares of vineyards and it’s surrounded by its own olive groves. The property has a rich history, in 2011 awarded by the Chamber of Commerce as one of 150 Italian oldest wine companies.
The journey through the Estate of Ancient Vintages’ history reveals fascinating milestones: from the discovery of an Etruscan stele dating back to 500 B.C. to the mention of it in a 12th century parchment, from becoming a farm of the Florence Santa Maria Nuova Hospital in 1.473 throughout the 17th century, till finally becoming ownership of a local noble family in 1800. up to nowadays.
In 1960 the estate’s wine production activity was transitioned from sharecropping to direct management, and equipped with modern vineyards and state-of-the-art cellars.
In 2023, the company celebrated its 550 years of continuous operation.
The privileged geographical location of the vineyards, between 250 and 400 meters above sea level, with a soil composed of limestone, clay and marl facilitates the cultivation of high-quality grapes.
The Old Vintage Experience is designed for those eager to taste the history of the Estate of Ancient Vintages and offers a tour where the visitor will be guided through all the parts of the villa that make up the company, with a special focus on the Family’s 550y old private ancient wine cellar for a one-of-a-kind wine experience
The customer is offered a glass of sparkling white or rosé wine at arrival, while being guided to see the collection of special historic bottles among which one bottle will be picked from at the guest’s choice.
An old vintage bottle will be opened and the wine will breathe generously, while the guest will complete the tour of the cellar and will then savour the chosen old vintage in a private room. They will only then taste the Chianti Rufina Riserva DOCG of the current vintage, so that they can correctly compare it with the previous wine and understand both wines evolution over time.
Two more wines -or one more wine and the Vinsanto- of the Estate of Ancient Vintages will be additionally tasted and accompanied by a light lunch to complete this special wine tasting experience.
