Le Franete

The Le Farnete estate is situated in Carmignano, just outside of Florence with 50 hectares of vines, olive groves and woods. Since 1990 it has been owned and run by the Pierazzuoli family who had for the previous 20 years run the nearby estate of Cantagallo which they still own. Carmingnano is a historical area, famous for winemaking for centuries. In fact it is the oldest regulated wine region in the world! Granduke Cosimo III de’ Medici’s edict in 1716 geographically defined the wine growing region and specified production and vinification requirements for wines produced by the Medici and intended to be transported by ship to their final market in England. Since that era, it was and still is obligated to use Cabernet, in the 1700’s the varietal probably Cabernet Franc was known as “Uva Francese” or French grape. The use of the French varietal was probably due to the close ties of the Medici family to the French king, a tribute to the popularity of the wine, and the ideal growing conditions