Italy’s Newest Cult-Favorite Wine Is a Chianti (Yes, a Chianti)

This story is from an installment of The Oeno Files, our weekly insider newsletter to the world of fine wine. Sign up here.

While other Tuscan winemakers trying to make a splash veer toward international varieties and IGT classifications, Giovanni Mazzei wanted to remain true to Chianti Classico. With 600 years of family winemaking history behind him, he believed the appellation’s wine could be simultaneously refined and intense while remaining deeply to its terroir. He’s done just that. Mazzei has blazed his own trail by creating Ipsus, a 100 percent Sangiovese Chianti Classico Gran Selezione. Within its first few vintages, he has created one of Italy’s most important wines, one that calls on the tradition of his ancestors while clearing a path for the future of the region.

Mazzei’s family has deep roots in Chianti: The earliest historic reference to the Chianti wine region is in a letter written by one of his ancestors, Ser Lapo Mazzei, in December 1398, more than 300 years before the region was formally recognized by Grand Duke Cosimo III de’ Medici. For more than 600 years, the Mazzeis have owned Castello di Fonterutoli, whose high-altitude Sangiovese vineyards are at the very center of Chianti Classico. When Mazzei and his father, Filippo, CEO of Marchesi Mazzei wines, first acquired the Il Caggio estate in 2006, they were not thinking about a single-vineyard wine. “Over time, as we deepened our understanding of the site’s potential, the vision evolved into creating a clos that could fully express this unique terroir,” the younger Mazzei tells Robb Report. “Ipsus was born from this gradual realization.”

From the first vintage in 2015, which was released in 2020, Ipsus caught the eye of critics and collectors alike. Prague-based collector Jakub Kolin was introduced to it through his membership in the Mazzei Wine Club, and he was excited to be part of the “successful story of a new ultra-premium Chianti Classico wine.” He counts 36 bottles from all six Ipsus vintages among his 2,000 bottles from Europe and South America that include producers such as Franco Conterno, Diego Pressenda, and Barone Ricasoli. Robert Smolens, a U.S.-based collector who splits his time between Connecticut and Florida, has also been on board since the 2015 vintage, although having recently finished off his last bottle of that, his cellar currently contains only the past five vintages, including some in magnum. With a collection that runs about 60 percent Italian, when he first heard about the new wine, he says, “Ipsus sounded like it would be the ultimate expression of Sangiovese, so I was intrigued. I have not been disappointed.”

Mazzei explains that Il Caggio features a combination of factors ideal for Sangiovese, including altitudes between 1,050 and 1,150 feet, which ensure balanced ripening, and deep and well-drained clay, schist, and calcareous marl soils dotted with a type of sandstone that imparts intense minerality. Most important, he says, is that the 16-acre enclave offers excellent exposure and natural ventilation. “These elements together create optimal conditions for purity, finesse, and aromatic precision.” When the Mazzeis acquired the estate in 2006, it already had mature vines, many over 30 years old, and in 2008 a portion of the vineyard was replanted to refine clonal selection and vineyard layout while maintaining the historic core of the site.

“Single-site wines can be the purest expression of terroir,” Derrick Goodman, sommelier and wine director at Camille in Orlando, tells Robb Report. Having visited Il Caggio, he adds, “I can see the intention, the sense of place, everything coming together.” Knowing that many of his clients are not familiar with high-end luxury Sangiovese that is not a Brunello or an IGT Super Tuscan, he describes it to curious diners as “a unicorn: a unique expression of Sangiovese that displays extreme focus like no wine I’ve ever experienced.” He also characterizes Ipsus as “a wine that will change the way you think about the region and the grape.” This was certainly the intention of Mazzei, who thinks Chianti Classico’s image has been diluted by production of large-scale, lower-tier wines. He wants to create an iconic wine to help change the perception of the region.

Dividing the vineyard into individual plots allows for micro-vinification, where each parcel is harvested and vinified separately based on soil, exposure, and vine age. “This precision approach makes it possible to select only the best lots for Ipsus, enhancing purity, complexity, and the expression of each nuance of the terroir,” says Mazzei. He describes Il Caggio as a living ecosystem in which the vineyard and entire estate vineyard are managed as part of a broader natural environment that promotes biodiversity and preserves wildlife corridors. “The goal is to maintain a balanced ecosystem in which the vineyard, soil, forest, and surrounding flora and fauna coexist and reinforce each other,” he says.

Vines are farmed using organic principles, but Mazzei’s approach goes beyond standard certifications to enhance soil vitality and root depth while reducing stress on vines. “We test innovative techniques such as regenerative soil practices, natural cover crops, and alternative treatments to chemical inputs,” he says. “The result is healthier fruit, more consistent ripening, and wines that reflect the character of Il Caggio with greater clarity, freshness, and precision.” Hailing from a near-perfect season that allowed for extended, even ripening that produced grapes with exceptional concentration, aromatics, and structural balance, Ipsus 2021 was fermented in small lots, with each block vinified separately. Aging took place in a combination of large oak barrels, smaller tonneaux, and ceramic vats to balance purity, texture, and freshness.

Deep ruby in the glass, Il Caggio Ipsus 2021 has a nose of black cherry, crushed violet petal, candied orange peel, and a hint of pencil lead. Plush tannins and a thrilling vein of acidity are wound around flavors of Luxardo cherry, blackberry, lavender, and clove. Long after the last sip, soft closing notes of thyme and river rock linger on the tongue and gums. Only 6,000 bottles were made of this living testament to the historical virtues of well-made Chianti.

Do you want access to rare and outstanding reds from Napa Valley? Join the Robb Report 672 Wine Club today.