The ancient Borgo Livernano in the Chianti, Tuscany
Livernano is a truly ancient place. It was first inhabited by Etruscans, then occupied by the Romans. During the interminable mediaeval wars between Siena and Florence, the hamlet served as a fortified border post. Our beautiful Romanesque church dates back to the 11th century. In the 17th century, Livernano turned into a quiet farming village. At the end of WWII, Tuscany suffered grinding poverty and the beautiful countryside, tended by humans for millennia, became almost entirely depopulated. The last farmers left Livernano in 1953. The hamlet regained new life in 1990, when the complete restoration of the entire estate was begun. Vineyards were re-planted, ancient olive terraces restored and the buildings and outhouses renovated and modernized, to create a state-of-the-art winery and guest house. Today, Livernano is once again a working farm, focussed firmly on fine wines, but also producing grappa, excellent olive oil, honey, vegetables, fruits and preserves.
Two houses of the hamlet have been completely redesigned to accommodate guests in an atmosphere of understated luxury. Their are a total of 12 rooms. All rooms are spacious and beautifully furnished with fine, local antiques and en-suite marble bathrooms. They all feature stereos, telephones and mini-bars. Guests can also enjoy the beautiful landscaped swimming pool (38 SF X 19 SF) and authentic four-course dinners prepared by our local chef. Set in splendid isolation amidst forests, vines and olive groves, Livernano is nevertheless close to local towns, historic sites, Michelin-starred and traditional rustic restaurants, and famous wineries.
The shopping and cultural centers of Florence and Siena are only a short drive away. The first vineyards were planted at high densities 15 years ago with selected vines suited to our unique soils and microclimate, and pruned for exceptionally low yields.
All these for a single purpose: To achieve the best possible quality of grapes from this wonderful land. Cellars are elegantly simple and impeccably kept. The use of the most modern technology where necessary to achieve quality and longevity, but aim to allow our wines to express the full richness and fascination of their unique territory. The flagship wine, Livernano is primarily a blend of our best Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sangiovese parcels. Majestic and age-worthy, it offers richly fruited aromatics and powerful structure.
Puro Sangue is pure Sangiovese, and displays classic black cherry and violet aromas, velvety texture and characteristically high acidity. Chianti Classico (80% Sangiovese with 20% Merlot) possesses the lively aromatics and rich fruit of its bigger brothers, but is designed for younger drinking…a prime example of the appellation. One of Tuscany’s very few high-level whites, L’Anima is a blend of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc with small additions of Viognier and Gewurztraminer…superbly rich, complex and elegant.
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