castle for sale italy, chianti classico wine ry docg tuscany area

Gaiole in Chianti, TU 53013

In the heart of Chianti Classico, in the center of a small medieval village, winery with castle for sale. This unique property offers 360-degree views of the surrounding hills, just 12 km from Siena. The estate covers about 48.6 hectares that include a Chianti Classico DOCG vineyard (12.1 ha) and a small olive grove (4.2 ha).
It was in Gaiole, a charming town of 2,700 inhabitants, that Baron Bettino Ricasoli developed the Chianti Classico formula for four mixed grape varieties in 1872.
Basic services are all available in the nearby town (4km; 10') or by going directly to the city of Siena (12km; 20') where one can find all the amenities one might need.


DESCRIPTION OF THE BUILDINGS
Inside the castle (1,420 sqm 15,279 sqft) are currently 8 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms, kitchen, hall, dining room, multiple reception halls and the historical wine cellar that includes a Roman wall. By converting some of the service rooms one could easily create up to 20 bedrooms and 20 bathrooms to be used for accommodation. The complex also includes a guest wing with separate entrance, featuring a kitchen, living/dining rooms, 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.

The oldest written evidence of the castle dates back to the year 912 CE, but in the property some Etruscan finds and a Roman wall were found, proving that there was some sort of settlement in the area long before the Middle Ages. For centuries the castle had been contended by Siena and Florence in their long-lasting war until in the 1450s it ultimately passed into Florentine possession.
With the defeat of the Sienese Republic in 1559 the castle lost its military and strategic function and ended up in the hands of the powerful Florentine family Ricasoli who converted the comples into a private farm. The buildings were then progressively abandoned until in 1994 the new owners undertook a massive renovation of the complex.
The castle, located inside a medieval village, has been carefully restored with nice materials, respecting the traditional Tuscan materials and the original structures, but adding also services and up-to-date systems. Moreover, during the restoration, most of the vineyards were re-planted with new clones of Sangiovese.
Internally, the property has exposed stone walls, brick arches, terracotta floorings, ceilings with chestnut beams and terracotta tiles, while externally it features stone and brick walls, thermally insulated window frames in chestnut with internal shutters in Tuscan style. It is equipped with the most up-to date electrical, plumbing and heating systems, and it has a security system. The bathrooms are particularly well-finished and well equipped.

The new wine cellar (1,000 sqm 10,760 sqft) was built in 2001 and is a more modern building better suited to new winemaking techniques and processes. In the same building are the offices and an impressive tasting room. The wine cellar is equipped with modern stainless steel machineries, barriques, tonneaux. Fermentation takes place in computer-controlled steel vats.


EXTERIORS AND WINE PRODUCTION
The estate in its entirety covers about 48.6 hectares (120.1 acres) of land more than half of which is covered by forest (28.3 ha). Around the castle, the buildings can count on about 4,200 sqm of garden, which houses, on one of the terraces, the 18 x 9 m Infinity pool with panoramic views of the surrounding vineyards.

Agricultural activity focuses on the vineyards (12.1 ha), which are fully registered as Chianti Classico DOCG, and currently produce red wines, vinsanto and two types of grappa.
- Surface: 12.1 hectares (Chianti Classico DOCG)
- Varieties: Sangiovese (72%), Cabernet Sauvignon (6%), Merlot (10%), Canaiolo (6%), Malvasia (6%)
- Altitude: 280 - 320 m asl
- Training: Guyot (4,000 - 5,000 vines / ha)
- Soil composition: calcareous and medium-textured soil, with a good quantity of clay, sand and tuff
- Yearly production: around 65,000 bottles (up to 100,000)

The remaining part of the estate includes an olive grove (4.2 ha) and several patches of arable land (roughly 3.5 ha) which could be used to further expand the existing vineyards.


CLOSEST CITIES AND TOWNS
Town with services (4km; 10), Siena (12km; 20), Castelnuovo Berardenga (15km; 25), Gaiole in Chianti (16km; 25), Rapolano Terme (31km; 30), Greve in Chianti (38km; 55), Poggibonsi (43km; 50), Lucignano (48km; 40), San Gimignano (53km; 1h 10), Montalcino (55km; 1h), Cortona (73km; 1h), Arezzo (74km; 1h 10), Castiglione del Lago (79km; 1h), Florence (82km; 1h 30)


CLOSEST AIRPORTS
Firenze A. Vespucci (91km; 1h 20), Perugia San Francesco (117km; 1h 25 ), Pisa G. Galilei (129km; 2h), Bologna G. Marconi (179km; 2h 10), Roma Ciampino (247km; 2h 30), Roma Fiumicino (265km; 2h 40)