Carmignano DOCG

The original “Super Tuscan,” legitimized centuries before the term existed. In 1716, Grand Duke Cosimo III de’ Medici identified this as one of Tuscany’s four superior wine zones. Historically, the blend required the addition of “Uva Francesca” (French Grape, i.e., Cabernet), which has been grown here since the 1500s (likely introduced by Catherine de’ Medici).

The Terroir Low-altitude, limestone-rich hills west of Florence. The climate is warmer and more sheltered than Chianti, allowing for the perfect ripening of Cabernet, which adds structure and minty notes to the Sangiovese.

The 1716 Edict The claim to be the original Super Tuscan rests on a specific document. In 1716 Cosimo III de’ Medici issued a bando defining the boundaries of four superior wine zones — Carmignano, Chianti, Pomino and Valdarno di Sopra — and establishing a body to police them. It is among the earliest legally demarcated wine appellations anywhere in Europe, predating the Douro by some forty years and the French appellation system by two centuries. Carmignano is the only one of the four whose modern boundaries still correspond closely to the ones Cosimo drew.

The Rules A minimum of 50% Sangiovese, with 10–20% Cabernet Sauvignon or Cabernet Franc — the Cabernet is not merely permitted but effectively required, which is unique among Tuscan denominations and the direct legacy of the historic uva francesca plantings. Canaiolo, Trebbiano and Malvasia may fill the balance. The wine needs 20 months’ aging and the Riserva three years. The zone is tiny: around 200 hectares across two communes, Carmignano and Poggio a Caiano, making it one of the smallest DOCGs in Tuscany.

The Critical Take A wine of immense historical pedigree often overlooked. It is more elegant and “velvety” than Chianti Classico, with a distinct ability to age. The Cabernet here is not an invader; it is a traditional variety.

At the Table Florentine cooking without argument: bistecca, roast pork with fennel, peposo, game birds, and aged pecorino toscano. The Cabernet component gives it the structure for richer meat than a Chianti Classico of the same age would handle, while the Sangiovese keeps the acidity that makes it work with tomato. Serve at 17–18°C and decant a young Riserva an hour ahead. Good vintages hold for fifteen to twenty years, and the mint-and-cedar note the Cabernet contributes becomes more pronounced rather than less with age. Capezzana’s bottles from the 1980s are still drinking, which is not something many Tuscan wines of that price can claim.

Benchmark Producers Capezzana (Count Contini Bonacossi is the definition of this region), Piaggia.