Villa Vignamaggio | Tuscany
Villa Vignamaggio is a magnificent 15th century estate which lies between the Italian towns of Florence and Siena in the pictureseque, rolling hills of Tuscany’s Chianti region, famed for its red wines. While Chianti Classico red wines have earned the estate world-wide renown, Vignamaggio is legendary for other reasons too. It is said that Mona Lisa, Leonardo da Vinci’s muse, was born here in 1479, and today Vignamaggio’s finest Chianti is named in her honour. It is also said that the term ‘Chianti’ was first coined in 1404 in reference to Vignamaggio’s wine.
Today the estate makes wines reflecting both the traditions and potential of the Chianti terroir, using traditional local grapes Sangiovese and Canaiolo for some wines, while others include proportions of international grapes Cabernet, Merlot and Syrah. Vignamaggio also makes tiny amounts of the delectable dessert wine vin santo.
