Biography
Molino di Grace: it might almost be considered a fairy tale, instead it is the name of a winery in Panzano in Chianti. It is named for an American entrepreneur, Frank Grace, who lives between San Francisco and London and because, next to the cellars of the estate, there is a 19th century mill (“Molino” in Italian). There have been vineyards in this spot for 350 years, but when Grace purchased the property in 1995 the winery did not exist: the grapes were sold to local producers. Grace is in Panzano, where he owns over 130 acres of land, vineyards, and woods, as often as he can, but he would never have embarked on the adventure of becoming a producer of wine had he not been able to count on the aid of Gerhard Hirmer, a German banker who, at 40 years of age, left the world of finance to live in Chianti, where he has put to good use his passion and culture, his love of wine, taking care of his own vineyards and helping other non-Italians to become producers. With his assistance, Grace has replanted the old vineyards, planted other new ones and, using an old barn in ruinous condition, transformed it into a modern cellar which opened in 1999. In the meantime, overall vineyard acreage has been increased by regular purchases, the last of which, in March 2006, led to the acquisition of Castello di Montefioralle in Greve in Chianti. Total vineyard acreage has now reached close to 115 acres, over 100 proprietary and another 10 leased. A grand collector and patron of the arts, Frank Grace has turned Molino di Grace into a virtual open-air museum while, at the same time, achieving a reputation as producer of fine wine in almost record time. His wines are created with the precious aid and assistance of consulting winemaker Franco Bernabei: three Chianti Classico offerings and a Super Tuscan. Provocative wines: Gratius comes form the oldest vineyard of the estate, while the Chianti Classico Riserva Il Margone is the result of a manual selection of the finest grapes to be used for this Riserva. Both are, proudly, 100% Sangiovese. And they are wines produced and bottled using biological material, compatible with the environment, both in the vineyards and in the cellar.