“On this 16th December 1398, 3 florins 26 soldi, 8 denari to be paid to Piero Tino Riccio for 6 barrels of Chianti wine…we pay the above with a letter from Ser Lapo Mazzei”. At the end of thr 14th century, a certain esteemed and influential Ser Lapo Mazzei, Notary of the Florentine Signoria, a skillfull business man and great expert of wines, bought Chianti wine. Then his niece, Madonna Smeralda married Piero di Agnolo da Fonterutoli, bringing to her family the property of her spouse. From that moment on, as destiny would have it the Mazzei, already wine producers for centuries in Carmignano, their birthplace, were no longer obliged to buy Chianti wine. Four centuries later, another Mazzei, Filippo, a restless youth attracted by the spirit of adventure and the love for freedom, triggered off by the ideas the Enlightenment, was born in this borgo in the second half of the 18th century. Filippo was invited by his friend, Thomas Jefferson, to Monticello in Virginia to plant a vineyard near the residence of the future President of the United States. He went there with a group of excellent Chianti vintners and planted not only this vineyard, but also others and met with great popularity. However Filippo was also a restless intellectual and deep down he harbored ideas of social Justice. Together with Jefferson, he had the time to take part in the American War of independence and was considered an American patriot by future generations, a patriot who even took part in the drafting of the American Constitution. Thus, an Italian from the Chianti brought the wine culture to the New World and the revolutionary ideas of the Old World. After all this time, there are still members of the Mazzei family in Fonterutoli, the ancient Fons Rutolae, which was a resting place for travelers even before 1000 and became a Florentine castle in the struggles between Florence and Siena. In the borgo situated near Castellina in Chianti, the family carries out an entrepreneurial activity supported by a deep pride in being the depositories of important memories of the history of Florence and the Chianti. Outside the beautiful 16th century villa, built on the ruins of a castle is a lovely Italian garden which slopes gently towards the boundaries of the ancient walls. From here one can have a truly uplifting view of the Chianti. Outside of the property lies the borgo with its little country church, stone house and kind, thrifty people attending to their daily tasks. The Mazzei live in Florence with five children and several grandchildren to give joy to Marchese Lapo and his wife Carla. Filippo and Francesco, the directors of the firm, are at home in Fonterutoli and one can imagine that whenever this great family feels the need to be together, they decide to do so inside the ancient stone buildings of this borgo in the Chianti with its memories.

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See also:

The Castle Of Gabbiano in Chianti, The Antinori Family Wine Producers, Antinori: Wine Makers for 800 Years, Volpaia: a Wine, a Hamlet, Colle Bereto in Florence, The Small Vineyard of Colle Bereto, The Great Montevertine: a Small Winegrower, Albola by Zonin, Castello Brolio of Ricasoli Firidolfi, Colombaio di Cencio Tech Wine, Ricasoli of Cacchiano, San Felice Chianti Hamlet

or go back to Chianti Wine Producing Estates