Tenuta CastelGiocondo | Frescobaldi

Southwest of Montalcino, the landscape opens towards the warmer parts of Tuscany. This is where Tenuta CastelGiocondo lies, a vast estate whose history is closely linked to the development of Brunello di Montalcino. As early as the 19th century, CastelGiocondo was among the estates involved in the early beginnings of this exceptional Sangiovese wine.

Today, the estate belongs to Frescobaldi and, among the family's properties, stands firmly for Montalcino. Sangiovese forms the centre, but the vineyards are anything but uniform. Different elevations, exposures and soils give the estate enough scope to reveal very different facets of the same origin.

Southwest-facing slopes, galestro and the diversity of Montalcino

The vineyards lie predominantly at around 300 to 400 metres and benefit from ideal southwest exposures. The afternoon sun supports the ripening of Sangiovese, while well-drained soils ensure that the vines must root deeply even under demanding conditions.

Particularly characteristic is the diversity within the estate. Galestro plays an important role, alongside clay-rich, sandy and slate-influenced sections. These differences are precisely what make CastelGiocondo far more than a single large vineyard. Sangiovese reacts sensitively to soil, altitude and exposure – and can develop very different nuances from one parcel to another.

The classic CastelGiocondo Brunello brings these different impressions together into an overall picture of the estate. No single site is intended to dominate; rather, the aim is to reflect the complexity of this southwestern side of Montalcino.

From Campo ai Sassi to Ripe al Convento

Campo ai Sassi shows that Montalcino does not begin only with Brunello. As a Rosso di Montalcino, it offers a more immediate introduction to Sangiovese and to the landscape of the estate. Rather than being a "small Brunello", it is an independent, earlier-drinking interpretation of the same origin.

At the other end stands Ripe al Convento. As a Brunello di Montalcino Riserva, it places much greater emphasis on selection, depth and long development. It therefore represents not merely a higher tier within the range, but a particularly concentrated interpretation of CastelGiocondo's terroir.

Between these two poles stands CastelGiocondo Brunello itself. It tells the story of the estate in its full breadth, combining different soils and sites in a wine that brings together the character of the property most completely.

Lamaione – Montalcino beyond Brunello

And then there is Lamaione. Precisely because CastelGiocondo is so closely associated with Sangiovese and Brunello, this Toscana IGT broadens the picture of the estate in an especially interesting way. It shows that the diversity of the property does not end at the boundaries of a single appellation.

Lamaione therefore does not contradict the Brunello tradition. Rather, it follows the same basic idea: to use different soils and grape varieties where they can develop their strongest individual expression. While Sangiovese interprets CastelGiocondo's elevations, galestro soils and exposures, Lamaione opens a second perspective on the same estate.

It is precisely this breadth that makes the estate so interesting. Campo ai Sassi, CastelGiocondo, Ripe al Convento and Lamaione do not simply represent four price levels, but different ways of interpreting a large and diverse place.

The spirit of Montalcino

Frescobaldi describes the character of CastelGiocondo with three key concepts: power, elegance and longevity. Here, they arise from the diversity of the terroir. The decisive point is not to smooth out these differences, but to make them visible in the wine.

Despite all this diversity, Sangiovese remains the centre of the estate. Southwest-facing slopes, differences in altitude and changing soils form the framework; Brunello di Montalcino is their great common language. That is precisely where the particular strength of CastelGiocondo lies. SUPERIORE.DE