Identity

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.

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History

The timeless charm of the Villa originates in the II century, when the owner was Marcus Peconius. Its name, inspired by “Pacho,” the Etruscan god of wine, reveals a deep and ancient connection to this land and its winemaking tradition. A bond that expresses centuries of passion for the vine and its precious fruit.
Over the centuries, the Villa passed to different owners, but each family who lived here has left an indelible mark.


In the Middle Ages, the Ricoveri family built a fortified palace with an majestic tower that, even today, stands out in the sky as witness to centuries of history.
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 assigned it to the Order of St. Stephen. 

In the XIX 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 property today.
In 1992, the farmhouse was bought by the Luzzi family. The famous neurologist Saverio, together with his family, has brought the property back to its former glory, through an accurate and meticulous renovation. He decided to carry on 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

Villa La Ripa vineyards are part of the Chianti Colli Aretini area, an excellent territory where the vines take advantage of the sloping hills and the medium-textured soil. The winds here preserve the air and the soil is kept fertile by two streams. 

The oldest vineyard was planted 80 years ago. Rows of autochthonous varieties of Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Trebbiano, Malvasia, live together with old cuttings of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, a very curious peculiarity. The oldest vines are placed two metres apart, and the distance bewteen the rows is three metres, according to the traditional Tuscan method. 

The new vineyards were planted with a higher planting density to encourage "competition" among the vines. With this new vineyards we are able to produce both traditional wines, closer to the classic Chianti, and more innovative ones, responding to the modern concept of the great “Super Tuscans”.

 

Cellar

 

The wine cellar is the location where the magic takes place,
where all the fragrance and vitality of the land convey. The grapes begin their journey and through delicate processes they are revealed in the wine that identify every single bottle.

In the cellar, human intelligence challenges the hundreds of variables which arise in the production of a fine wine.

It's a never ending experiment and school at the same time.
 That’s why here poetry and technique blend together, like many of our wines do. 

At Villa La Ripa, you will find both old vintage vats and barriques, together with the most modern equipment.
However, the real protagonist here is our passion.
 That’s why, during the harvest season, the owners are in direct contact with the fermentation process all day and night long, being anxious to follow the evolution of the musts converting into wine. 

 

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

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