The story of a vine whose thirst can never be quenched
According to popular belief, Nipozzano means "senza pozzo," or ”without a well” and refers to the areas east of Florence that were, and still are, lacking in available water. In fact, the only well to ever grace the land was born of great effort, specifically to service the area’s only castle. Though this absence of water prevented the cultivation of many crops, it attracted the interest of savvy vintners who knew just how favourable those conditions were for this particular vine. The wine of Nipozzano became famous, known to fill the glasses of 15th century Renaissance masters like Donatello and Brunelleschi. To this day, owing to the care of the Frescobaldi family, this land continues to have splendid vineyards, one solitary well, and, of course, great wines.
The wine made famous by a grand marriage
In the mid-19th century, Leonia degli Albizi, the last heir of that ancient family, married Angiolo Frescobaldi in Florence. That marriage testified to a centuries-long alliance between the two dynasties. The front label of Nipozzano Riserva in fact still bears the Albizzi coat-of-arms: the two concentric circles in the centre symbolise the tool used to card wool, for the Albizzi family had made its fortune in the Arte della Lana, one of Florence’s Major Guilds. Beneath the coat-of-arms, on the other hand, is the cross of the Order of St. Stephen, an ancient papal order of knights.