Travignoli, a name which literally means “Tra Vignoli” (between the vineyards), is located in the middle of Frescobaldi’s Nipozzano vineyard, in the heart of the Rufina zone. There is documented evidence that wine was first produced there in the 5th Century B.C. by the Etruscans who called it “Nectar of the Gods”. Count Busi and his family acquired the estate in the 1800’s.
Until current winemaker Giovanni Busi graduated from the prestigious enological school of Conegliano in 1979, the estate sold almost all of its production in demijohns to private clients. With the expert consultation of Giacomo Tachis, one of the most respected enologists in Italy, Giovanni began to bottle the wine of Travignoli. High acidity and tannins have always been characteristic of Rufina wines. Some are so big and tannic as to be harsh when young and slow in their development as Riservas. The wines of Travignoli, however, due to Busi’s vinification methods, are more approachable than most, showing a subtle fruitiness against a strong tannin-acid backbone, even when fairly young.
Giovanni Busi
Since he began bottling, Giovanni Busi’s collection of awards and accolades have continued to grow. Veronelli, Italy’s foremost wine writer gave him high marks in his catalogue and again in an article in a national magazine, L’Expresso, saying that the recent releases from the estate demonstrate that “the young Giovanni Busi knows what he is doing and that another important estate is developing in the zone.” Gambero Rosso has also praised the estate and highly rated its wines. Giovanni is now joined by his son Clemente, who studied in France before coming to work at the estate.
The Travignoli estate covers 91 hectares (225 acres), with 70 hectares (148 acres) under vine. The vineyards are excellently positioned on the slopes with a southerly exposure at an elevation between 270 to 370 meters (886-1,214 feet). They are planted mostly to Chianti Rufina (60.5 hectares); the remaining plantings are 8 ha of Cabernet Sauvignon, 1 ha of Chardonnay and .5 ha of Merlot. There are also 25 hectares (62 acres) of olive trees.
Chianti Rufina, the smallest Chianti area, is located northeast of Florence on the sandy calcareous lower slopes of the Apennines. It is said to be "one of Tuscany's most privileged vineyard areas, where Chianti reaches heights of size and longevity rivaled only on privileged parts of Classico". The Chianti Rufina vineyard is planted on clay, marl and calcareous soil with a large percentage of rocks stones for good drainage. The vines are an average of 10-25 years old.
