Castello di Volpaia

Fattoria Castello di Volpaia is a wine estate in the village of Volpaia in Chianti Classico. It is particularly known for its red wines featuring the Sangiovese grape variety.

The Castello began life in the 11th century as a fortified village on the border between the territories of Florence and Siena. The production of wine is first documented in 1172. Raffaello Stianti, a leading printer and bookbinder, purchased the Volpaia estate and two-thirds of the village in 1966. In 1972, he gave it to his daughter and her husband as a wedding gift, and Volpaia remains in the ownership of the Mascheroni Stianti family.

The organically-farmed estate extends to 370 hectares (914 acres), of which 46ha (114 acres) are planted with vines. Grapes are picked by hand into small boxes to ensure they are intact when they reach the winery. The winery facilities are built within the village's structures – there are fermentation tanks in abandoned church buildings. Stainless steel pipes known as the "wineduct" connect these buildings at the top of the village with several barrel cellars at the bottom.

The red grapes are fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks with automated punchdowns. Once fermented, the grapes are left for further maceration. Castello di Volpaia's wines are aged in either large Slovenian oak casks or new 225-liter French oak barriques, depending on the cuvée.

The portfolio is headed by the single-vineyard Chianti Classico wines Coltassa and Il Puro, and Balifico, a Toscana IGT wine made from Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. A pair of multi-vineyard Chianti Classico wines make up the majority of production, and Castello di Volpaia also makes a Chardonnay – Sauvignon Blanc blend, a metodo classic sparkling wine, a Vin Santo del Chianti Classico and a grappa.

On top of the wines made under the Castello di Volpaia label, the estate also makes wines under the Prelius label in Maremma Toscana, and a sparkling wine from the island of Pantelleria, released under the Nikà label.