Castelgiocondo Brunello

Beef stews, braised meats and aged cheeses.

2016 was along and challenging year with many stressful moments, but ultimately one of the best ever. The particularly mild winter caused the vines to sprout earlier than usual and the buds could be seen opening as early as late March. Conversely, spring was cool and rainy and June hardly felt like summer with temperatures below average. The mild spring caused growth to progressively slow down and, consequently, flowering and veraison were delayed. Thanks to the warm (but not excessively hot) summer, which saw a few advantageous showers in August, the vines were in excellent physiological shape for the final stage of ripening and perfectly healthy grapes were produced. The last ten days of September saw plenty of sunlight, significant changes in temperature from day to night, and cool, dry northerly winds with very low levels of humidity, enabling us to harvest the fragrant, very ripe and perfectly balanced grapes promptly and carefully.

The wine was then aged in wood containers, where it was able to mature, ripen and develop balance. Five years after the grapes were picked, and only after another period spent ageing in the bottle, CastelGiocondo Brunello is now ready to be placed on the market.

The great care taken in the vineyard, together with the typical characteristics of this unmistakable terroir, resulted in an outstanding harvest. The Sangiovese grapes were picked by hand and carefully selected after arriving in the cellar. Fermentation took place in stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature with frequent pump-overs, particularly during the early stages

The Marchesi de' Frescobaldi is one of Italy's oldest wineries with a history dating to the 1300s. The family has included medieval knights bankers lawyers and patrons of the arts. The Marchesi de' Frescobaldi is one of the most significant wine producers in Italy with nine estates—and roughly 2 500 acres—in Tuscany. The family has been growing wine since the late 19th century when they became the first in Tuscany to import and plant French vine cuttings. Because they have been producing wines for more than 700 years to experience Frescobaldi is to glimpse the history of Florence from the Middle Ages to the present day. Wine Spectator has ranked many of their offerings in the 90s and their wines are consistently listed in the magazine's Top 100 Wines of the Year encouraging wine enthusiasts from around the globe to become familiar with some of Italy's finest wines.