Carmignano DOCG - History

History

Wine has been produced in the Carmignano region since Roman times. During the Middle Ages, the area was widely reputed for the quality of it wines, something that the local ruling Medici would take pride in during the centuries that followed. In 1716, the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Cosimo III de' Medici issued an edict identify four areas of Tuscany that produced the highest quality wine in the area. Carmignano was one of these areas and was given legal protection that prohibited other region from using the name "Carmignano" for their wines. The reputation of Carmignano continued to grow with Queen Anne of Great Britain requesting regular shipments of the wine. The wines were similarly praised in the 18th and 19th century writings of Giovanni Cosimo Villifranchi and Cosimo Ridolfi.

In 1932, the Dalmasso Commission (in establishing an early precursor to the Denominazione di origine controllata system) officially grouped Carmignano with the Chianti sub-zone of Chianti Montalbano. This was because of the proximity of the two regions and similarity in altitudes and annually yearly temperature. But the Carmignano region produced distinctly different wines from Chianti due, in part, to the tradition of including Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend with Sangiovese. While some theories suggest that this practice dates back to the time of the Medici (with those early vines subsequently being wiped out during the phylloxera epidemic), the practice became more common during the 20th century. Vine cuttings of Cabernet from Château Lafite Rothschild in Bordeaux were imported and by 1975 Carmignano was the first DOC to be awarded official sanctioning for the use of Cabernet in the blend. While the early "Super Tuscans" of the late 20th century which included Sangiovese-Cabernet blends had to be relegated to the lowly vino da tavola or "table wine" designation, DOC (and later DOCG) Carmignano wine was being produced with full legal sanctioning.