Montesodi Frescobaldi 2017

The wine is obtained through a careful selection of grapes of a single variety, Sangiovese, harvested by hand in the Montesodi vineyard at Castello di Nipozzano in the Rufina zone. The vineyard, owned by the wine house, is situated at an altitude of about 350 meters (1,148 ft.) and exposed to the southwest. The average age of the vines is 26 years and they are planted in a density of 3,000 per hectare (1,214 an acre). They grow in arid and stony terrain that is well drained and contains albarese, clay and limestone but little organic substance. After a soft pressing, the must is allowed to ferment for 14 days in stainless steel containers. The wine is in contact with the skins for about a month, including the period of fermentation. The wine is regularly pumped over the cap to assure the most complete extraction of color and the softest tannins. Malolactic fermentation in oak barriques, a third of them new, immediately follows alcoholic fermentation. Maturation lasts 12 months and bottling is carried out without filtration. The wine is fined in the bottle for about 12 months. The color is a dark, intense and concentrated ruby red with limited transparency. The aromas show excellent acuteness with sweet and appealing scents of vanilla in combination with fresh, mint-like sensations splendidly fused with hints of ripe fruit such as plums and red currants. The impact in the mouth is balanced and well-rounded with an outstanding balance between alcohol and tannins, which are present but not dominant. A finish of excellent acuteness, profound, full and highly persistent. Contains sulphites. Produced by Marchesi Frescobaldi società agricola S.r. l. - Via Aretina, 120 - 50065, Sieci - Pontassieve (Firenze) - Italy.

The producer

One of the leading and most extensive wine estate complexes in Europe, Frescobaldi owns nine properties in Tuscany, all situated in zones that are particularly suited and dedicated to the production of premium D.O.C. and D.O.C.G. wines. Of the nine estates, among them Remole, Castiglioni, Corte, Santa Maria and Valiano, those of Castelli di Pomino and Nipozzano and Castel Giocondo produce wines of the highest level of quality. Although the company has experienced numerous evolutions over the years, the property has not changed and is still entirely owned by the Frescobaldi family. Castello di Pomino, located in the Pomino D.O.C. zone on the slopes of the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines, 40 kilometers (25 miles) to the northeast of Florence, covers a total of 1,458 hectares (3,601 acres), of which 103 are planted in vines. Castello di Nipozzano in the Chianti Rufina D.O.C.G. zone with a hilly landscape typical of Tuscany, 30 kilometers to the northeast of Florence, amounts to 626 hectares with vineyards occupying 212 hectares. Castel Giocondo in the Brunello D.O.C.G. and Rosso di Montalcino D.O.C. zone in a typical Mediterranean environment to the south of Siena covers a total of 815 hectares, of which 151 are entered on the Brunello register. The other Frescobaldi estates, which occupy a total area of 1,164 hectares with 279 planted in vines, are located in premium viticultural zones. Remole is 15 kilometers to the east of Florence in the Chianti Rufina zone; Castiglioni, Montagnana and Valiano are about 30 kilometers to the southwest of Florence in the Chianti Colli Fiorentini zone and Corte nel Mugello and Santa Maria are located in the Scansano area of Grosseto province. Each of the first three estates has its own structures for vinification and maturation of its wines, while the grapes harvested on the six other properties are fermented in the winery at Montagnana. A structure at Sieci houses the packaging section and cellars where the wines are laid down. At all its estates, Frescobaldi is committed to the production of wines that profoundly reflect the character of the environment. The style is modern and innovative and the wines develop rich personalities. The philosophy that has guided Frescobaldi over the years in its viticultural operations is based on the exploitation of grapes from its own vineyards, in keeping with the conviction that the quality of a wine is created first of all in the vineyard. According to Frescobaldi, the terroir, the indissoluble link between environment, variety, climate and human intervention, determines the quality of a wine. On the basis of that concept, Frescobaldi has secured leadership in the vitivinicultural sector. Because of its capacity for research and innovation, which has permitted it to acquire long experience in the cultivation of Chardonnay, Cabernet, Merlot and Pinot in Tuscany, Frescobaldi ranks among the first wine properties to plant specialized vineyards and introduce the use of stainless steel and oak in vinification.

Best with

Red meats and game, stews and boiled dishes and strong, aged cheeses.

How to serve it

It is advisable to uncork the bottle several minutes before the wine is to be served. The proper temperature is 18-20 degrees Celsius (64-68° F.). The most appropriate goblet is a chalice of transparent, smooth and uncolored crystal.

How to keep

If well stored, the wine has an average life of seven to nine years. The bottles should be laid down horizontally in a cool, moist and dark cellar.