Company

Philosophy

Rows and rows of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Canaiolo, Trebbiano and Malvasia are looked after with love and passion, both with head and heart, always in full respect of the nature, its perfect rhythms, and environmental sustainability.

WATCH VIDEO

History

The first owner of the ancient villa was Marco Peconio in the second century. A.D. His name comes from Pacho, the god of wine, that is Bacchus in Etruscan; this is evident of how the territory has always been linked to the art of cultivating the vineyard and enhancing its precious fruits. A thousand years later, the property passed on to the Ricoveri family who built a fortified building with an adjacent tower that is still visible today.
However, the current appearance of the villa is ascribed to the Gualtieri family, an important lineage of poets, cardinals and winemakers who bought it in the Renaissance and then registered it in the name of the Order of Saint Stephen. 
In the Nineteenth century, after the invasion of Arezzo by the Napoleonic troops, the villa was confiscated and auctioned, and subsequently bought by the Ubertini family, a noble family from Arezzo whose most famous exponent was Guglielmo degli Ubertini, the leader of Aretine soldiers in the great “Battle of Campaldino” against Florence.
At the beginning of the last century, the Bucchi family further developed the cultivation of oil and vines, planting the oldest vines that are still on the farm today.
Then, the farmhouse was bought by the Luzzi family. The well-known neurologist Saverio, together with his family, has brought the property back to its former glory, through an accurate and meticulous renovation and he decided to continue the wine production focusing on the high quality of the product. As a doctor, his goal is to reconcile historical tradition and innovation through a scientific approach to wine making.

Vineyards

The cultivations of Villa La Ripa are part of the Chianti Colli Aretini sub-zone, taking advantage of a slightly sloping and medium-textured land located in a fairly windy area, between two small streams. 

The oldest vineyard was planted at least 80 years ago; there are rows of autochthonous varieties of Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Trebbiano, Malvasia, and old cuttings of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, a very curious peculiarity. The oldest vines are placed two metres apart with row spacings of three metres, according to the traditional Tuscan method. 

The new ones have a higher planting density to encourage competition. This makes it possible to produce both a more traditional wine, closer to the classic Chianti, and a more innovative one, closer to the modern concept of the great “Super Tuscans”.

 

 

 

 

 

Cellar

The cellar is a place where the magic takes place, where all the perfume and vitality of the land, the microclimate and the grapes are drawn out and they are revealed in the wine to identify every single bottle.

In the cellar, the human intelligence challenges the hundreds of variables which arise to obtain a simple wine but always improving. That’s why the cellar environment must be both poetic and technical.

In this way, at Villa La Ripa, you can find both old vintage vats and barriques, the most modern equipment and the ancient rites; but what matters the most is the people’s passion and that’s why, during the harvest season, the owners are in direct contact with the fermenting process all day and night long, being anxious to follow the evolution of the musts transformed into wine. 

''Wine is like a son - explains Doctor Luzzi - you can nurture it, prepare it, but it is extraordinary to follow its development, to observe its path, to see its well-known evolution''.

Loading...