wine & spirits The World of Frescobaldi

A whirlwind tasting tour of five Tuscan wine estates

archesi de’ Frescobaldi, the venerable wine On a tour of the Frescobaldi’s five wine estates in Tuscany, I started at empire owned by one of the top noble families the newest property, Ammiraglia estate in Maremma with views to the of Florence, has been making headlines Tyrrhenian Sea. It is a self-contained sustainable world with Angus cows in Italy for 700 years. The winery’s legacy and Cinta Senese pigs. I tasted the new vintage of Ammiraglia Syrah, Mnow includes a program producing the world’s first prisoner- which has notes of black currant, fig, clay and earth, with velvety tannins. made wine. Early this year, company vice president Lamberto Next, I was off to CastelGiocondo located about an hour away from Frescobaldi joined forces with Italy’s penitentiary department Ammiraglia near the historic village of Montalcino. The winery bottles in devising a plan for rehabilitation through grape cultivation. both pure Sangiovese and pure Merlot. I sampled 2012 Brunello straight The first cuvée, a white blend dubbed Gorgona, from the barrel, picking up raspberry and blood orange on the nose. debuted this summer in a limited-edition The following day took me to the Castello di Pomino in a nearby 2,700-bottle release. The wine, made on the DOC—a cool-climate white wine producing alpine appellation at 2,000 isle of Gorgona off the Tuscan coast—Italy’s feet. The property produces a lovely barrel-aged Chardonnay, Benefizio. answer to Alcatraz—is the first step. The socially That afternoon, Lamberto Frescobaldi, his son Vittorio and their beloved conscious winemaking family has pledged to dog, Brunello, took me on a tour of nearby Castello di Nipozzano, which employ inmates upon their release. appeared like a fortified stone castle on top of a hill. The wine flowed The family has a long history of giving freely—first Mormoretto (a Super Tuscan), then Montesodi (single- back to the community as patrons of the vineyard Sangiovese). As a final surprise, Lamberto took a knife to the wax arts. Their new “artists for Frescobaldi” seal of Gorgona and let me have a sip of the already storied Vermentino. initiative doles out generous grants. I closed out my Tuscan immersion with patriarch Marchese Leonardo Tiziana Frescobaldi, its driving force, Frescobaldi leading me on a tour of the Tenuta di Castiglioni, which has conducted an Italy-wide search for been in the family since the 11th century. Over verticals of Giramonte, contemporary photographers, tasked with the Marchese spoke of the jealous pangs he felt upon discovering Robert symbolically interpreting the family’s Mondavi’s New World wines with their big oak, vanilla and fruit CastelGiocondo estate in Montalcino. flavors. Afterward, he explained, he took his Italian wines in that big bold Three winning entries are featured on direction. “Now,” he says, “we no longer seek intense concentrated wine limited edition Brunello labels. First-prize because it tires your palate. Instead, we want balanced earthiness with went to Elisa Sighicelli, who climbed into great acidity and harmonious wines.” A tablemate’s descriptor confirmed a wine barrel and shot a photo from inside his achievement. “The ’06 Giramonte,” she said, “is like a bolt of velvet through its small top opening. . unfurling.” —Baroness Sheri de Borchgrave

Grape Expectations (top) A view of CastelGiocondo. (above, left) Limited-edition CastelGiocondo Brunellos feature photographs by Elisa Sighicelli and Rä di Martino.

xx connecticut cottages & gardens 09.2013