The Badia a Passignano abbey is situated in Sambuca Val di Pesa, three kilometers to the south of the Tenuta Tignanello estate; its 223 hectares extend over a calcareous terrain which rises to an altitude of 250-300 meters (825-100 feet) above sea level in one of the loveliest and most productive parts of the Chianti Classico appellation. The fundamental importance of this abbey in the history of Chianti Classico can be read in many volumes housed in the State Archives of Florence, which confirm the presence of Sangiovese vineyards and other types of cultivation in the zone. Further confirmation occurred in 1983 when, in the terrain surrounding the abbey, a millennia-old vitis vinifera vine was found.
Vineyards
The vineyards which surround the abbey have belonged to the Antinori family since 1987. Currently there are 56 hectares (140 acres) planted to Sangiovese (utilizing selections of the finest clones of the variety chosen in very old vineyards at the Tenuta Tignanello estate, planted with a vine density of 5000-7000 plants per hectare and
trained to a cordon de Royat system) and, to a very limited extent, to Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. Badia a Passignano also has 19 hectares (37 acres) of olive groves planted with the Frantoio, Leccino, and Moraiolo olive varieties.
Cellars
The monastery, which was the residence of the founder of the Vallombrosian order, belongs to the monks, while Antinori has the use of the splendid old cellars located directly beneath the monastery. The cellars have vaulted ceilings and thick walls, and are a perfect environment for the aging of the wines, as they maintain constant temperatures and humidity throughout the year. They hold approximately two thousand 60 gallon barrels coopered from French oak for the production of the Badia a Passignano Chianti Classico Riserva.
