Castello Vicchiomaggio is a historical heritage castle dating back to 1400 AD. During the renaissance, it served as a wine estate and a glorious Manor House. Leonardo da Vinci stayed at the castle during the time he was painting the Monna Lisa.

The modern story of this estate began with passionate wine importer Federico Matta in 1964 when he purchased the estate. In the 1970’s, his son, John Matta, took over the reins of the wine estate. An expert in terroir characteristics, value of low yields and sustainable agriculture, John implemented his philosophy, which was groundbreaking at the time, to the development of the Vicchiomaggio winery. His first step was in replanting the vines, creating a prudent and sustainable vineyard management system and equipping the cellar with traditional oak barrels. 

This very important last step characterizes the Vicchiomaggio wines for their elegance, variety clarity and focus, consistent high quality and longevity. The vineyards are predominantly Sangiovese, which comprise the range of Chianti Classico wines. John Matta was bestowed Winemaker of the Year on four occasions at the International Wine & Spirits Competition.

The Winery
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Situated in Tuscany, Italy

The beautiful Vicchiomaggio estate comprises 140 hectares of which 34 are under vines, 10 ha are olive trees and the rest is pristine park land. Special attention is taken to plant the vines with south facing exposure, which ensures full development and maturation of the grapes. The primary varietal in the vineyards is Sangiovese, which comprises the majority of their wines. Also, some other minor Italian varieties planted are used in some blends and international varieties, such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are used in their ‘Super Tuscan’ blends.

Particular care is taken during harvest, which is all done by hand, grapes are sorted and only the best are used for their premium wines. All temperature controlled equipment is used in the wine making process and ageing of wines takes place in French barriques and large barrels, depending on the type of wine. The use of oak is minimal and no new oak is ever used for ageing in order to minimize harsh tannins. This imparts silky tannins to the ever elegant wines.