CARMIGNANO

As stated above, wine production in Carmignano dates back to the Etruscans and later the Roman period. At the end of the 14th century Datini wrote of buying Carmignano wine for a large sum for his cellars in Prato; in the 17th century Redi praised Carmignano wine as worthy of Jove. Furthermore, Carmignano was designated by Grand Duke Cosimo III de' Medici (in 1716) as one of the four best areas for wine growing in the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. The 'Motu proprio' Decree and 'Bando' laid down precise rules for production, set out geographical boundaries and regulated trade in the wines from these areas, thereby making up the first 'D.O.C.' (denomination of controlled origin) in the world.
Between the Nineteenth and Twentieth centuries, the cellars of Marchese Niccolin's estate (today part of Capezzana estate) produced and exported Carmignano.
A period of decline followed and in the 1930's the historic Medici Carmignano D.O.C. label was incorporated into the Chianti Montalbano D.O.C. For Carmignano producers the return of the 'Carmignano' denomination represented the recovery of their wine's historic and territorial identity: it was a lengthy and difficult battle in which Ugo Contini Bonacossi played a fundamental role.
In 1975 the Carmignano D.O.C. was finally recognized - retroactively, for mature wines, as far back as the 1969 vintage.
In 1990 the D.O.C.G. label (denomination of guaranteed controlled origin) was granted, retroactively back to 1988.