{ wine heritage }
A Patriot Remembered
FILIPPO MAZZEI: A MAN AND WINE FOR ALL TIMES
by Tim Gaiser, MS
60 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } JUNE/JULY 2016
PHOTO COURTESY OF MAZZEI
EVEN THOUGH BENJAMIN FRANKLIN IS REPORTED TO
have said, “Wine is constant proof that god loves us,” Thomas
Jefferson has to be considered the true “father” of American
wine. Jefferson’s love of wine, gained from extensive travels in
Europe, blossomed at home on his Monticello estate where
he planted dozens of vinifera varieties and made wine for
decades. But Jefferson did not come to wine alone. He had
help in the form of one Filippo Mazzei.
Like Jefferson, history is no stranger to the Mazzei family.
The Mazzei name is one of the most important in the history
of Tuscan wine. Their estate was founded in 1435 and is the
oldest family-owned property in Chianti Classico. The Mazzeis
have also been deeply involved in political and cultural movements in the region as far back as the 14th century, beginning with Ser Lapo Mazzei (1350–1412), a winemaker from
Carmignano who was also a notary of the city of Florence as
well as proconsul of the art of judges and notaries. In fact, Ser
Lapo Mazzei is considered the originator of the Chianti name
in that he wrote and signed the first known document using
the appellation name, dated December 16, 1398:
“To be paid, on December 16 [1398], 3 florins, 26 soldi and 8
dinars, to Piero di Tino Riccio, for 6 barrels of Chianti wine . . . the
above pay by letter of Ser Lapo Mazzei.”
Filippo (1730–1816) was yet another important figure in the
Mazzei dynasty. Francesco Mazzei, the current Vice President
and CEO of the estate, calls Filippo “a passionate grape grower,
liberal thinker and a citizen of the world.” It’s worth noting
that late 18th-century Tuscany was one of the most politically
liberal places in Europe. Filippo’s beliefs reflected exactly that.
He was also a restless international traveler and in the late
1760s met Ben Franklin and John Adams in England. Impressed
by both his politics and expertise in all things wine, Franklin
and Adams introduced Mazzei to Jefferson. The two quickly
became close friends with Jefferson asking Filippo to help plant
a vineyard on his beloved Monticello.
In 1773 Mazzei traveled to Virginia with a group of workers
and planted the region’s first vineyard on Jefferson’s estate. In
his time spent at Monticello, Filippo also shared his political
views with Jefferson. In 1774 Mazzei was quoted in the Virginia
Gazette by Jefferson as saying, “All men are by nature equally
free and independent. Such equality is necessary in order to
The Mazzei family tree is on display at Fonterutoli
create a free government. All men must be equal to each
other in natural law.” Mazzei’s statements are eerily prescient
of the text of the Declaration of Independence. No doubt he
was an influence on Jefferson, who would later become the
document’s primary author.
Filippo Mazzei may not exactly be a household name today
but he has long been thought of as an American patriot. In
1980 a commemorative airmail stamp was issued to mark the
250th year after his birth and to celebrate him as a “Patriot
Remembered.” Recently the Mazzei family wanted to produce
a special bottling to celebrate the life and ideas of Filippo as
well, a wine that would reflect him as a man of the world
with international ideals and yet pay homage to his—and the
family’s—Tuscan roots.
Mind you, the Mazzei portfolio has some of the top wines in
Tuscany, including their Super Tuscan Sangiovese-Merlot blend,
Siepi, and their Chianti Classico Gran Selezione, Castello di
Fonterutoli. The commemorative bottling is called Philip, a
Cabernet Sauvignon produced from fruit sourced from the
family’s Belguardo Estate in the coastal hills of Maremma and
the Castello di Fonterutoli estate in Chianti Classico. I asked
Francesco Mazzei why Cabernet was chosen for the wine and
Philip is a Cabernet Sauvignon dedicated
to family ancestor Filippo Mazzei, a friend
and advisor of Thomas Jefferson. The label
artwork is based on a portrait of Filippo on
exhibit in the Louvre.
Filippo, Francesco
and (seated) Lapo
Mazzei in the library
at their Castello di
Fonterutoli.
PHOTO COURTESY OF MAZZEI
he answered saying, “Philip was a man of
the world but rooted in Tuscany.” He also
said that his family’s vision for the style
of Cabernet for Philip would be “fresher
and more elegant, emphasizing balance,
harmony and restraint.” The label for Philip
is especially striking. The image was developed with the support of the Florence
University of the Arts (FUA) and based on
a portrait of Filippo Mazzei on exhibit in
the Louvre.
The fruit for Philip is hand-harvested and
the lots are fermented separately then aged
for 24 months in small, 500-liter French
and American oak barrels, 30% of which
are new. My notes for the 2012 include a
very deep ruby color with crimson rim on
the appearance with notes of very pure
blackcurrant-blackberry fruit and violetfloral, aromatic green herbs, graphite, dark
earth and wood smoke on the nose. The
palate is unabashedly Cabernet Sauvignon
but defines elegance and finesse with fine
tannins and a long, persistent finish. The
2012 will easily age 12 to 15 years.
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