Rocca delle Macìe

Rocca delle Macìe was established in 1973, when Italo Zingarelli – producer of Ettore Scola’s We All Loved Each Other So Much, and also of the wildly popular series of films featuring comedy duo Bud Spencer and Terence Hill (including They Call Me Trinity and Trinity Is Still My Name) – decided to realize his lifelong dream by acquiring the “Le Macìe” estate – extending across 85 hectares in all, of which only two were under vine – in order to create a winery in the heart of the Chianti Classico zone.

Love and passion for the Tuscan land are handed on from Italo to his sons Sergio and Fabio and to his daughter Sandra. In 1985, Sergio, Italo's youngest son, became personally responsible for the worldwide distribution network and in 1989, with his wife Daniela at his side, was appointed Company President.

As part of Sergio's long term business strategy and of his determination to achieve quality, he consolidates and developes , together with the collaboration of his sister Sandra,  the paternal company which becomes popular worldwide, gaining many prizes and recognitions for his wines. Sergio's  elder brother Fabio, which in the meantime became architect, follows personally the restoration works of  the Fizzano village and of the new wine cellar.

Today Sergio and Daniela are making use of their children’s help: in fact Andrea, which is soon graduating from college, is collaborating with his father during his trips abroad, while Giulia is already active at her mather’s side in taking care of the hospitality branch of the company business.

The company estate now extends to more than 600 hectares with, in total, more than 200 used as vineyards and 80 as olive groves, subdivided across the company's six estates: Le Macìe, Sant'Alfonso, Fizzano e le Tavolelle in the Chianti Classico zone, in addition to the recently purchased Campomaccione and Casamaria in the Morellino di Scansano zone.

Le Macìe.
Purchased in 1973, this estate remains the heart of the company and plays host to the offices and the cellars. It is composed of 85 hectares, of which 42 are given over to vineyards (Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot) and 13 to olive groves. Here, you can admire some of the winery's most beautiful vineyards, on which major replanting operations have been carried out with a particular focus on analyzing the soil and achieving the right hydrological and geological balance with a view to reaching the best possible quality without compromising the environment.

Tenuta Sant’Alfonso.
Acquired in the same year as Le Macìe (1973), this estate is composed of 125 hectares, of which 50 are given over to vineyards (Sangiovese) and 15 to olive groves. In the plots on this estate, Sangiovese plays a leading role; indeed, the composition of the soil (richer in clay and with less gravel than others) together with the specific clones of Sangiovese used favor the optimum maturation of the bunches with a higher concentration of polyphenols and aromatic substances. These grapes are used to produce one of the winery's prestigious monovarietal Sangiovese crus: Chianti Classico Tenuta Sant'Alfonso.

Riserva di Fizzano.

Locally renowned for the excellent exposure of its vineyards, Fizzano Farm was purchased in 1984 and is constituted by a borgo dating from the 11th century and by around 61 hectares of plots, of which 35 hectares are given over to vineyards (Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot) and 10 to olive groves. The borgo also plays host to the company's oil mill, into which all of the olives from the various properties are funneled to produce a high-quality extra-virgin olive oil. In addition, the buildings of the borgo have been converted to create a delightful Relais, which is Rocca delle Macìe's hospitality hub.

Le Tavolelle.

As part of an initiative geared towards enhancing and diversifying the winery's productive base, the Le Tavolelle estate was acquired in 1998 and is composed of 22 hectares, of which 16 are under vine (mostly Sangiovese) and 1 is given over to olive groves. This property plays host to a new cellar for the aging of prestigious selections of red wines.

Campomaccione.
In 1998, the Zingarelli family, driven by their far-sighted entrepreneurial approach, decided to explore an area where the winemaking tradition has exceptionally ancient roots – the Maremma. Within the DOC zone of Morellino di Scansano, Rocca delle Macìe purchased the 80-hectare Campomaccione estate in order to cultivate Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah grapes with modern planting systems featuring 6000 plants per hectare. The dry, hilly soils – together with the area's warm, drought-prone climate – favor the excellent ripening of the grapes, while the brackish sea air is essential for the development of the specific aromatic characteristics that are transferred from the grapes to the wine. This estate gives its name to Morellino di Scansano Campomaccione, Rocca delle Macìe's first wine to come out of the investments it has made in the province of Grosseto.

 

Casamaria.
In 2003, Casamaria Farm was acquired to reinforce Rocca delle Macìe's participation in the Scansano zone. This 67-hectare farm already had 15 hectares under vine, and was chosen for the planting of the winery's first Vermentino vineyards, from which the grapes were used to create the second wine produced in this area: Occhio a Vento. This sun-drenched, sea-kissed land has given and will continue to give great results for Rocca delle Macìe, which aims at all times to enhance the quality of its products while respecting the areas in which it operates.

My father Italo managed to infuse us with his great passion for the Tuscan soil and for the art of making wine. In short, he gave us the desire and the enthusiasm to continue to write that never-ending story that links wine to the lives of human beings. With his cast-iron will, he taught me that to get an idea off the ground takes determination. We have always elected to offer wines whose quality and reliability correspond to – and increase in line with – the organizational prowess and professionalism of the business.

We believe that the simplicity and authenticity of the relationships we have with our clients are indispensable requirements for any type of partnership. Our conviction is that companies grow and get better only by ensuring that they stay in step with the market and by persevering in the pursuit of their objectives.

Wine as a work of art and art as a means for encapsulating what wine is all about: this is the common thread that has guided the Zingarelli family for many years in its organization of international prizes that, on the one hand, are geared towards promoting contemporary art and helping young artists to make a name for themselves, and on the other, provide a way for the family to express their passion for the art of making wine using non-traditional approaches. Indeed, for a full 17 years (from 1991 to 2007), the winery was the prime mover behind the Rocca delle Macìe Opera Singers' Prize, which became a fixture in the calendar of international opera contests.

In 2010, the winery oversaw the first Zingarelli-Rocca delle Macìe Painting Prize, focusing its energies on what was a great passion of the founder: Italo was, in actual fact, enthusiastic about the arts in general, but was especially enamored of painting. A man with a tremendous esthetic sense, he always chose his paintings instinctively, driven more by the search for beauty than by the renown of the artist. Over the course of his life, he always cultivated a particular interest in those youngsters who, like him, were trying hard to turn their dreams into reality. Out of this passion came the intention of Sergio and his family to establish a painting prize and to continue writing the never-ending story that binds art to wine and to the life of man. The Prize is held every other year.  The third edition of the Prize will be held in 2014.