Fattoria La Ripa
One of the oldest vineyards in the region and former property of ‘Mona Lisa’
Fattoria La Ripa is a family property located in the north west of the Chianti Classico region. The property covers 140 hectares of which 16 are planted with vines. The rest is occupied by olive trees and forests.
Anxious to protect the environment, the property was committed in the early 2000’s to organic farming (wines and olive oils). In 2006 it was certified Bioagricert (IT BIO 007). In addition to the wines produced in Chianti Classico DOCG and olive oil La Fattoria La Ripa also vinifies wines in DOC Vinsanto from Chianti Classico, Grappa, DOCG Chianti wines “Land of Mona Lisa”, as well as Super Tuscan IGT wines Santa Brigida and IGT San Giorgio alle Rose. ”Fattoria La Ripa was bought in 1941 by my father, Ferruccio Caramelli. Even though his core business was the textile industry he had a real crush on this vineyard. However, the wine was not sold directly under the name of the property. For that it would be necessary to wait until 1968!
Meeting with Sandro CaramelIi, president of the family company, S.A.Santa Brigida, owning Fattoria La Ripa.
Why did you choose to work in the world of wine?
Sandro CaramelIi: Until the age of 25 I lived with my family in Rome. I attended the Lycée Français in Rome. Subsequently I went to study electronics at the University of Rome ”La Sapienza” to become an engineer. After graduation I did work in the USA, Brazil and South Africa. My wife is from Stellenbosch. In 1979 we made the choice to take over the family business. At the time in La Ripa there was a manager who I kept until his retirement to teach me to manage a vineyard. I also asked the oenologist who followed the property to teach me how to make wine. It was a learning time for me! Today, and this since 2010, technical management and winemaking are done by my son Nicolas Caramelli. He trained and obtained his diploma of oenologist at the Faculty of Oenology and Viticulture of the University of Florence. Subsequently he went to the University of Bordeaux to obtain a Master II in Oenology. He then stayed for a little over a year to work with Thomas Duroux at Château Palmer as well as for Joanne (Trader at Place de
Bordeaux).
Where does the name ”Fattoria de la Ripa” come from?
S.C.: The name” La Ripa ”dates back to the 15th century when this property belonged to Anton Maria di Noldo Gherardini. He was the father of Lisa Gherardini, the Monna Lisa of Leonardo da Vinci’s painting in the Louvre. La Ripa was the main part of Lisa’s dowry for her marriage in 1495 to the wealthy silk merchant of Florence Francesco del Giocondo. Due to her wedding Lisa was known as ”La Gioconda”.
The property had, according to tradition, been inscribed in the name of Francesco del Giocondo and at his death in 1532 it was again inherited by Monna Lisa. On Lisa’s death she passed it on to her daughter who married a member of the Frescobaldi family. This made it part of the heritage of the Marquis Frescobaldi. At the end of the seventeenth century the Frescobaldis sold all their properties located in Chianti (south-west of Florence) to acquire properties located in the South East (not far from the village of Santa Brigida where is located the first property purchased by my father, that gave the name to our family company…).
What is the signature of your wines?
S.C.: What characterizes the Chianti Classico property is that they offer in their youth intense cherry aromas. This is due in particular to the blend of Sangiovese and Canaiolo. As they age, they evolve towards prune notes.
I would add that the wines of La Ripa are precise and offer beautiful lengths / persistence in the mouth. The tannins are often slightly firm. The wines of La Ripa, as most of the great wines of Chianti Classico, are made for a very long maturation and ageing, unlike Chianti wines that must be drunk young andthat are produced in most of Tuscany except the Chianti area, where Chianti Classico wines are produced. (J.C.C.)
What makes your terroir so special and unique?
S.C.: Fattoria La Ripa is located in the sub-area of San Donato in Poggio in western Chianti. Our territory consists of hills rising on average between 350 and 450m above sea level. Our region is open to the Tyrrhenian Sea, therefore our vineyards benefit from marine winds (from the west) and this way much more important than wines from other areas of Chianti Florentin or Sienese. Our soils are alkaline (Ph> 8), stony, with apparent rocks of Galestro (friable shale) and Alberese (liais). They are therefore rather well drained but generally not very fertile. The elevation of our terrain associated with the impact of the sea winds means that we rarely suffer from late frosts and winters are usually quite mild.
Summer is normally very hot, especially in July. Spring and autumn are quite rainy. In the spring, thanks to our altitude, we enjoy a fairly large temperature difference between day and night.
Do you have an anecdote about Fattoria La Ripa?
S.C.: Fattoria La Ripa is a property located on one of the most ancient ridge roads joining the Valley of the river Pesa and Florence to the Via Francigena. It is on Via Francigena that many crusaders from France and northern Europe have gone to join Rome and then the Holy Land.
Do you have projects?
S.C.: We are looking to establish ourselves more steadily in new markets, such as China or South America. We are already present in Canada, USA, Brazil, Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore.
In Europe we sell in Belgium, Scotland, Czech Republic, France, Poland, etc. Until a few years ago we also exported regularly to Russia. But since the embargo decided by NATO everything has practically been blocked. However, I do not despair of being able to resume my exports to Russia.