On their Chianti Classico farm they started with technical innovation. In the vineyards, site and clonal selection where their first steps, together with drastic yield reductions. In the cellars, already in 1980 they introduced controlled malolactic fermentation techniques, started experimenting with indigenous yeasts, planted grapes like chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon, aging them, and Sangiovese too, in small barrels, then developed carbonic and cold macerations and the list of innovations went on and on and on. As they said, it was not one single innovation that made a difference in the quality of Carpineto wines but the sum of a multitude of them, all the way from planting the vineyard to the dinner table.

In 1994 at the IWSC in London, Carpineto wins a triple gold for Chianti Classico Riserva, Vino Nobile Riserva and Farnito Cabernet Sauvignon and Giancarlo Sacchet takes the Trophy for Best Winemaker of the World, the first Italian to win this prestigious award. With the European limelight now shining on Carpineto their efforts were also noticed in America by Wine Spectator that included the Farnito Cabernet Sauvignon in their top 100 list of 1998.

1998 is also the year in which, on the Vino Nobile estate, the first 10 hectares of high-density vineyards are planted to 8,600 vines per hectare, or 3600 vines per acre. Productions from this dry farmed hillside vineyard will average below one bottle per vine and the quality is truly exceptional.  At almost 100 hectares, it will become what is probably the largest contiguous high-density vineyard in Italy. Also, in 1998, from the Montepulciano vineyards, Carpineto bottles the first 100% Sangiovese wine in the territory, called Poggio Sant’Enrico, anticipating a trend by many years.