Since time immemorial the Mazzei family has been intimately linked to the political and cultural life of Tuscany. Its connection to Tuscan wine making is equally venerable. The earliest documented mention of the Mazzei dates back to the beginning of the 11th century. The very first document which refers to Chianti as a wine-producing zone is found in correspondence dated 16 December 1398 between Ser Lapo Mazzei and Francesco Datini, the Merchant of Prato immortalised by Iris Origo in her book of the same name.
It was Ser Lapo’s granddaughter, Madonna Smeralda, who first came into possession of the Fonterutoli estate in 1435.
In more recent times, another ancestor and passionate winemaker left his mark on the history of the United States. Filippo Mazzei was an intellectual, explorer and free spirit who played a part in drafting the Constitution of the United States.
Our age-old expertise has allowed us to develop a profound awareness of the potential of the Sangiovese grape in each of the complex terroirs that make up this particular zone of Castellina in Chianti.
Il Caggio is a marvelous enclave, with distinctive traits that single it out as something exceptional even in this very special winemaking district.
It's thanks to these unique qualities that Giovanni Mazzei – son of Filippo, the current president of the Marchesi Mazzei company – chose Il Caggio as the elective birthplace of an unprecedented Sangiovese cru, a goal he had been working towards for some time. And so Ipsus was born – an expression of the truly exceptional Sangiovese vines that grow here, nurtured by the Mazzei family's 600 year-long wine-making tradition.
