The great Chianti Colli Fiorentini from the family that invented Vermouth

"Molino degli Innocenti represents both the destination and the journey: roots and experimentation. Understanding a territory, every single vineyard, and, together with the work of man, exploring a new, untrodden path." This is how Niccolò Rossi di Montelera describes his finest Chianti. Together with his siblings Ludovica and Leonardo, he has taken the reins of Torre a Cona. The 2019 vintage – the first under this label – is a masterpiece and has won the Special Award from the Guida Vini d’Italia 2025 as Red of the Year. But – as Niccolò says – Molino degli Innocenti represents both a destination and a journey, a journey we will tell you about also through five exceptional vintages of Badia a Corte, another estate wine which, along with Terre di Cino, represents the two crus of this slice of land.

Torre a Cona, between Chianti and Valdarno

We’re not far from Florence. Head southeast, to the border between Chianti and Valdarno, to discover Torre a Cona. Here, the soft hills alternate between woods, olive groves, and vineyards, until a true revelation appears. Torre a Cona is one of the most beautiful 18th-century villas in all of Italy and is part of a roughly 200-hectare estate. It was purchased in 1935 by Napoleone Rossi di Montelera, grandson of Luigi Rossi, one of the founders of Martini & Rossi. But the origins of this site date back even further, to the year 1000, when a fortification known as the Castello di Quona stood here. That structure was demolished, except for the main tower from the 12th century: the current villa was built on these very foundations.

The Osteria di Torre a Cona

Torre a Cona is a beautiful working farm, producing wine and olive oil; part of the villa is dedicated to hospitality and also features a dining venue – the Osteria di Torre a Cona – open both to guests and external visitors. Everything is managed by Napoleone’s grandchildren, the children of Lorenzo: Ludovica, Leonardo, and Niccolò, the latter being directly involved in the wine production and estate management. The vineyard area spans just under twenty hectares, and all wines aim to reflect the essence of the terroir hosting the estate: wines coming entirely from single vineyards with Sangiovese as the undisputed protagonist (planted on 15 hectares); alongside this noble grape are Colorino and Merlot, which form the basis of two different labels. There’s also a small production of Trebbiano and Malvasia del Chianti, used to create an outstanding Vin Santo del Chianti.

Niccolò Rossi di Montelera: leads Torre a Cona with his siblings Leonardo and Ludovica

Chianti Colli Fiorentini, with Sangiovese at its heart

Back to Sangiovese. Torre a Cona produces three Chianti Colli Fiorentini wines: a young and simpler wine, Crociferro. Alongside it are two Riservas from two crus, Badia a Corte (awarded Tre Bicchieri five times) and Terre di Cino. There's also a Vin Santo Occhio di Pernice, Fonti e Lecceta. And then there’s the newest label, Molino degli Innocenti: the first vintage is 2019, the one we were introduced to during our tasting. The name of the wine is also the name of the cru, the estate’s highest vineyard, located at around 400 metres above sea level and south-facing. The subsoil is primarily galestro, and after fermentation in steel, the wine ages in large 25-hectolitre Slavonian oak barrels.

The Rossi di Montelera return to Vermouth

In memory of great-grandfather Luigi Rossi, in 2022 his grandson Niccolò decided to revive a new vermouth label – an iconic product currently enjoying a true renaissance. Thanks to the historical and personal archive of Napoleone Rossi, son of Luigi and grandfather of Niccolò, an old recipe dating back to 1920 was selected. From this starting point, with the help of Piero Cane, a renowned oenologist with deep knowledge in the preparation of historic vermouths, the journey toward the creation of the new label began. After various trials and minor tweaks to the historical recipe, Vermouth Torre a Cona was born – one of the finest ever tasted. Its real secret is, in fact, not a secret at all. Torre a Cona produces excellent, authentic, and terroir-driven wines: and this is where the vermouth journey starts. Not from a wine that needs to be "corrected" with aromas and botanicals, but from the estate’s best Sangiovese selections, which make up at least 75% of the blend, with the addition of a mix of herbs, flowers, and spices derived from the century-old recipe. The artisanal care of all production stages is another fundamental ingredient: in the extraction of aromatic compounds from the botanicals and in the blending – considered the heart of the process – of alcohol, sugar, and botanical extract, everything follows a precise order as established in the original recipe. Then comes the mariage: the “marriage” in which the blended liquid rests for days to achieve perfect harmony. Before being released onto the market, the vermouth undergoes several months of bottle ageing: so far, 3,000 bottles have been produced. The label was designed by artist Massimo Tosi: a watercolour inspired by the Torre a Cona estate.