Frescobaldi is a winemaking family from Tuscany with a reputation dating back to the Middle Ages. It owns eight estates across 13 appellations. The range of its wines is very diverse, with elaborate reds, whites, rosés and sparkling wines developed from multiple terroirs. Frescobaldi was voted Best Winery of the Year in 2020 by the famous Italian magazine Gambero rosso.
The Frescobaldi family
The Frescobaldis are an historic Italian family with a rich and intriguing backstory. In the year 1000 the family lived in the agricultural estate of Castiglioni in the Val du Pesa but later set up home in Florence. The Frescobaldis brought about architectural changes there and had a palace and bridge constructed in 1252. This famous family has produced eminent writers, explorers, musicians, bankers, bishops and politicians. It has produced wine since the 13th century and supplied European courts and the Vatican since the 14th century. In 1855, the Frescobaldis planted French grapes in Tuscany : cabernet sauvignon, merlot, pinot noir and chardonnay. In the 20th century, Vittorio, Ferdinando and Leonardo Frescobaldi developed exceptional wines which elevated the reputation of Tuscany as a producing area. Lamberto Frescobaldi, today the House’s director, aims to create unique wines from each estate.
The style of Frescobaldi wines
Frescobaldi produces all its wines in the same way whether or not they are developed on different estates. The character of the wine should reflect each one’s terroir. Tuscany has diverse terroirs, and the wines from the Frescobaldi family shows the variety of these soils. The scents and texture of each wine are authentic.
An enduring respect for tradition and terroir
Tradition and savoir-faire are at the heart of the way the Frescobaldis work, including meeting the need for innovation and modernity. The conservation of Tuscany and its terroirs, synergising soil, climate and altitude, has been the family’s priority for a millenium. The Frescobaldis are passionate about the culture of winemaking and want to pass that on, through their wines developed by expert growers and œnologists.
Sustainable agriculture and respect for nature
Since 2012 the family have followed integrated and sustainable modes of agriculture and has obtained the "AgriQualità" certificate, involving natural processes. Dry materials are studied to best respect the environment. Bottles are lighter, which reduces energy consumption, and pyrolyse treatment is used to enrich soils through wood waste.
The Frescobaldi estates
The estates of the Frescobaldi family are Tuscan and each has its own style and individuality. However, they are united in their respect to their terroirs and the authenticity of the wines which reflect them. The family has also owned the famous Tenuta dell'Ornellaia since 2002. The recently-acquired House decided to plant bordelais grape varities in the Bolgheri region. Shortly afterwards, the world-famous Californian wine producer Robert Mondavi joined the group. Together, they are creating wines which are becoming the most renowned and best wines of Tuscany, transferring the excellence of this terroir in an authentic way. The result is wines imbued with the finest expression of elegance. A benchmark among the great wines of Tuscany, Masseto is another Frescobaldi estate. The Masseto name reflects its own exceptional terroir, where veins of blue clay, just under the soil’s surface, are called "masse." Having been voted "Wine of the year" in 1997 by Decanter magazine, Masseto quickly gained recognition across borders.
"Tenuta CastelGiocondo"
Tenuta CastelGiocondo is an emblem of the great wines of Montalcino. Located 50 kilometres south of Sienna, it stretches over the ruins of a medieval castle and village. Sitting at an altitude of 300 metres from the sea, Tenuta CastelGiocondo benefits from an exceptional terroir made up of Pliocene sands, clays rich in calcium and minerals and galestro (shale). These soils give the best conditions to the sangiovese grape, star of the region, to create superlative wines.
Tenuta CastelGiocondo produces different wines such as the extraordinary Brunello di Montalcino Riserva DOCG Ripe Al Convento di CastelGiocondo, the superb Toscana IGT Lamaione and the Brunello di Montalcino DOCG CastelGiocondo Brunello, which brings out all the special character of the sangiovese grape in a great, balanced wine. Raising up the expression of the grapes and the terroirs, the powerful wines of Tenuta CastelGiocondo are an exciting discovery of Montalcino wines.
"Tenuta Castiglioni"
Having belonged to the Frescobaldi family since the 10th century, Tenuta Castiglioni is the focal point in the winemaking history of the family. It was here that the family began to produce wine in 1300. Since 1500, the wines of Tenuta Castiglioni rose to eminence at the Papal Court and the English Court of Henry VIII. Today, Tenuta Castiglioni remains one of the six bastions of the Frescobaldi family, with Tenuta CastelGiocondo, Tenuta Ammiraglia, Tenuta Perano, Castello Nipozzano and Castello Pomino.
Along the ancient Via Castiglioni, Tenuta Castiglioni sits on the beautiful hills of Val di Pesa, between Siena and Florence, in the heart of Tuscany.
The cool marine breeze coming from the Tyrrhenian Sea mingled with the day’s heat creates a unique microclimate and soil, which show their richness through the structure of the wines produced at the estate. The elegance and fruity intensity of the wines of Tenuta Castiglioni reveal the essence of Tuscany in a modern, contemporary style. Intense and full-flavoured, Tenuta Frescobaldi di Casteglioni genuinely reflects the family’s know-how and its Tuscan identity.
"Tenuta di Nipozzano"
Tenuta di Nipozzano is located close to Castello di Nipozzano. This medieval castle, more than 1000 years old, is right in the middle of the famous and prestigious Chianti Rufina vineyard, one of eight geographical areas which demarcate the Chianti appellation.
Situated 25km north of Florence, Tenuta Nipozzano benefits from a perfect spot in the Arno valley, providing a natural protection against climactic hazards.
Symbolising the traditions of the Florentine winemaking terroir, the Tenuta di Nipozzano wines elevate through their exceptional aromatic palette, with typical balsamic notes, an extraordinary longevity in the palate and their great keeping potential. Opulent and profound, the wines of Tenuta di Nipowwano reflect the unique essence of the Sangiovese grape, which native to this particular part of Tuscany.
Tenuta di Nipozzano is the origin of prestigious wines such as the emblematic Mormoreto, since 1976, Montesodi, revealing a unique expression of the sangiovese grape, and Nipozzano Vecchie Viti from the oldest vines of the estate.
"Tenuta Luce della Vite"
Famous worldwide, Tenuta Luce della Vite was created in the 1990s from the vision of two men : Vittorio Frescobaldi and American Robert Mondavi. They decided to write a new chapter in the history of great Tuscan wines and wanted to make their dream a reality, by producing exceptional wines while boosting the local terroir.
Located south-west of the medieval town of Montalcino, Tenuta Luce della Vite stretches across 192 hectares, of which 88 are planted with vines. At an altitude of between 350 and 420 metres inclusive above sea level, Tenuta Luce della Vite has one of the highest vineyards in the area. The soils, rich in pebble and sediment but lacking in organic materials, combined with a lovely south-facing position, bring about ideal conditions for producing the great Sangioveses with a slow ripening of the grapes.
At the lowest part of the vineyard, on clay soils, you will find merlot vines, planted in the 1970s, and cabernet sauvignon, planted in 2004.
The vines are cultivated with the greatest respect to the terroir, by excluding the use of chemical inputs and favouring organic composts, while other plants are grown around them to promote biodiversity. From the vine to the cellar, nothing is left to chance.
The greatest care is given to the vineyard in respecting the identity of the grape variety during the winemaking process. A plot-by-plot approach is used to bring out the best expression of each piece of land.
Powerful, elegant, with fine aromatic integrity, the wines of Tenuta Luce della Vite are a benchmark of the great wines of Tuscany and of Italy.
Luce, the iconic label from Tenuta Luce della Vite, incorporates the perfect balance between the structure of the sangiovese grape and the roundness of merlot. Luce has become a symbol of both tradition and innovation, and is today one of the biggest names of the "Super Tuscans" of Tuscany, known and appreciated around the world.
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