2019 Frescobaldi CastelGiocondo Brunello di Montalcino 750 ml

When it comes to Tuscan winemaking, there’s history. And there are icons.

And then there’s Frescobaldi.

Having supplied wine to historic figures from Michelangelo to Henry VIII, Frescobaldi’s winemaking legacy traces unbroken back to the 14th century. The family produces one of the world’s most sought-after wines in the iconic Ornellaia Super Tuscan—and their superb 2019 CastelGiocondo Brunello di Montalcino is one of the most spectacular Brunellos you’ll find in this price range.

It hails from an all-time-great season—Vinous called 2019 “the vintage we’ve all been waiting for,” and Kerin O’Keefe said “I’ve never tasted so many drop-dead-gorgeous young Brunellos from a single vintage.” No surprise that it earned a 95-point score from James Suckling, a critic whose reputation rests on his Tuscan expertise.

Marchesi de’ Frescobaldi is one of the most venerable groups of wineries in Italy and CastelGiocondo is their jewel in Montalcino. According to Wine Enthusiast, the extraordinary Brunello produced at CastelGiocondo “delivers a modern touch to a territory steeped in tradition.”

It’s characterized by its privileged southwest exposure and elevation ranging from 300 to 400 meters above sea level, optimal conditions for cultivating Sangiovese Grosso, with cooling breezes from the Tyrrhenian Sea and significant diurnal temperature that elicit a gorgeous balance of ripeness and vivacity in the grapes. The soils are predominantly galestro (schistous clay) and alberese (limestone), interspersed with marine fossils that contribute to the wines' elegant minerality and structure.

Among Italy’s strictest practitioners of grape selection, Frescobaldi’s methods consistently yield aromatic and intensely flavored Brunello from the Sangiovese grosso grown on the 37-acre estate. In the gorgeous 2019 season, this resulted in healthy bunches of fruit that translated into a rich, concentrated, cellar-ready Brunello that will pay dividends over the next decade plus.