We have always said if we could not live in the Unites States, we would like to live in the Tuscany region of Italy. The time we spent in Tuscany was impressive and enjoyable to say the least. The people, the foods and, most specifically, the wines were far beyond our expectations.
There are many wines produced in Tuscany; every one we tasted, from the simplest to the dearest, were all exceptional in quality.
The name Marchesi de Frescobaldi is among the most famous in Tuscan wines. The winery has produced wine since the year 1092, when the family began to supply wine to the royal courts of Europe. It doesn't take too much imagination to realize if they have been in business for that length of time, and were supplying royalty, their wines must be good.
Marchesi de Frescobaldi Castel Giocondo 2007 Brunello di Montalcino ($75)While we realize this is a high-priced wine, there are those times when a wine of immense quality is called for. When that time comes, this is definitely the wine to pick.
It is a truly incredible wine of great depth and flavor. The aroma is the familiar grape and spice of a quality chianti, but expanded and infinitely more complex. The flavor that of Tuscany and its brunello clone of the sangiovese grape. Unlike many of the other wines made from this grape, this brunello exhibits greater intensity, depth and complexity. There also is an added extra in the form of the aftertaste, which is very long, fresh and fruity.
This wine can be enjoyed now, but also is capable of considerable bottle aging for as long as 30 years. We do not recommend this wine sit that long, but the mere fact it can be aged for that considerable length of time is an indication of its quality and structure. This is a wine with a truly regal bearing.
Vermintino Ammiraglia 2012 ($18) Except for the pinot grigio, Italian white wines have never achieved the popularity they truly deserve in this country. This is probably because they are made from grape varieties with which we are unfamiliar in this country. We hope to change that. Just for clarity and respect for those of us who do not speak Italian, the grape variety used is the vermintino and the name ammiraglia translates as flagship, so putting it all together, this is the winery's flagship white wine.
This wine displays an inviting pale straw color, with hints of green, heralding a bright, crisp aroma of exotic fruits such as passion fruit and lychee, along with the more familiar aromas of apricots, almonds and honey. These carry over to the flavor, where they are enhanced by an enticing raisin-like element. The finish extends the interest even further by introducing the flavor of almonds. As is the case with most Frescobaldi wines, the finish is fresh, fruity and enduring.
This wine is a very nice transition from the familiar white wines and opens an entire new vista for this interesting grape variety.
Tenuta Frescobaldi Di Castiglioni 2010 ($25) This is an interesting wine. It has been produced from grapes that are familiar to us by blending together 50 percent cabernet savignon, 30 percent merlot, 10 percent cabernet franc and 10 percent sangiovese. This wine provides a great opportunity to observe the differences and similarities between wines from Italian-grown grapes and those from California.
The aroma is resplendent with cherry, strawberry, currant and plum, along with suggestions of cinnamon, pepper, cocoa, coffee and hazelnut. This carries over to the flavor and then on to a long finish.
Do try this wine; we know you will enjoy it as much as we did.
Nixa resident Bennet Bodenstein is a wine columnist and manages ArticlesOnWine.com. He can be reached at frojhe1@att.net.[[In-content Ad]]
