Summary
Famiglia Cecchi is one of the best-known and most historic family wineries in Tuscany. Founded in 1893 by Luigi Cecchi, the house is run today by the fourth generation, Cesare and Andrea Cecchi, and is based in Castellina in Chianti – one of the finest Sangiovese communes of Chianti Classico. Across several estates the family farms around 385 hectares of vineyard, including the Chianti Classico estates Villa Cerna and Villa Rosa as well as Val delle Rose in the Maremma. At its core lies Chianti Classico made from Sangiovese – from the accessible Annata to the Gran Selezione.
History
The roots of the house go back to 1893, when Luigi Cecchi established his winery. Luigi was a professional taster and advised the wineries around him before he began producing and marketing his own wines. As early as the 1930s the family was exporting its wines around the world – an early step that still reflects the entrepreneurial spirit of the house today.
The decisive move into the heart of Chianti Classico came in the following decades. In the 1960s the family acquired Villa Cerna, its first estate in Castellina in Chianti, converting the villa into a winery. In the 1970s Cecchi built a modern cellar in Castellina, which remains the headquarters to this day. Over the generations the family steadily expanded its holdings – most recently with the Villa Rosa estate, added in 2015. Today Cesare and Andrea Cecchi, representatives of the fourth generation, lead the house.
Location & Terroir
The headquarters in Castellina in Chianti lie in the north-western part of Chianti Classico, between Florence and Siena. The commune is considered one of the finest addresses for Sangiovese: elevation, cool nights and a wide range of soils give the wines freshness, structure and finesse.
The most characteristic soils are the classic Tuscan galestro (a flaky clay-schist) and alberese (calcareous marl). At Villa Rosa, for example, galestro-rich soils produce especially fine, mineral-driven wines. Beyond Chianti Classico, the family also farms vines through Val delle Rose in the Maremma on the Tuscan coast – a warmer, Mediterranean terroir particularly suited to Morellino di Scansano and to the white variety Vermentino.
Style & Philosophy
At the centre of the work is Sangiovese and the ambition to express each terroir clearly in the glass. The Chianti Classico wines are built differently depending on their tier: the Annata is juicy, fruit-forward and accessible, the Riserva denser and aged longer, while the Gran Selezione from the best plots represents the most ambitious level. For ageing, the estate uses a combination of larger wooden casks and smaller tonneaux to keep fruit and fine tannins in balance.
Over the years the family has invested heavily in plant material, soil study and modern cellar technology without abandoning the classic Tuscan character. For its enological direction Cecchi works with the renowned consultant Carlo Ferrini; earlier, the legendary Sangiovese expert Giulio Gambelli was involved at Villa Rosa. This combination of tradition, terroir thinking and technical precision shapes the house style.
Notable Vineyards & Wines
The Famiglia Cecchi portfolio is spread across several estates and appellations:
- Villa Cerna – the family's first estate in Castellina in Chianti, with vines of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Colorino; the base for classic Chianti Classico wines.
- Villa Rosa – an estate in Castellina acquired in 2015 with galestro-rich soils; source of a Chianti Classico Gran Selezione made from 100% Sangiovese.
- Val delle Rose – an estate in the Maremma (founded in 1996), today one of the largest producers in Morellino di Scansano and an important source of Vermentino from the Tuscan coast.
- Chianti Classico „Storia di Famiglia" – an accessible classic that makes the house style widely available.
The range therefore runs from easy everyday wines to the ambitious Gran Selezione.
Awards
As one of the great names of Tuscany, Cecchi has been a fixture of international wine criticism for decades. Its wines – in particular the Chianti Classico Riserva and Gran Selezione and the Morellino di Scansano wines from Val delle Rose – are regularly reviewed and awarded in leading guides and tastings (such as Gambero Rosso, Decanter or James Suckling). More than 125 years after its founding, the Cecchi name stands for a successful blend of Tuscan family tradition, entrepreneurial vision and reliable quality across several appellations.