- Grapes
- Sangiovese, Merlot
- Denomination
- Chianti DOCG
- Region
- Tuscany
- ABV
- 12.5%
- Body
- Medium to full
Marchesi de' Frescobaldi's Chianti DOCG from the historic Tenuta Castiglioni estate. Sangiovese with a little Merlot, steel-aged and bright: cherry, strawberry, violet, soft tannin, fresh acidity. A versatile Tuscan red for pasta and roast meats.
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Where to buy Frescobaldi Castiglioni Chianti
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Tasting Frescobaldi's steel-aged Castiglioni Chianti
Sangiovese with about 10% Merlot, matured only in stainless steel at Tenuta Castiglioni, so the fruit stays clear and bright. Expect cherry and strawberry over fresh acidity and soft tannin.
- Tasted by
- ItalianWines editorial (drinker consensus)
- Tasted on
- 11 June 2026
- Vintage in glass
- 2024
- Source
- Drinker consensus · confidence Medium
- Taste profile
Frescobaldi's ageing in steel only keeps the aromas clear and primary. Ripe cherry and black raspberry lift first, with blackcurrant and a strawberry sweetness behind. A floral top note of violet and rose marks the Sangiovese, exactly as the Castiglioni technical sheet describes.
The 90% Sangiovese drives bright, mouth-watering acidity. The 10% Merlot rounds the edges, so the tannin stays smooth rather than grippy. Body is light to medium at 12.5% alcohol. The fruit is fresh and red-berried, and the wine finishes dry. Frescobaldi's 11-day steel maceration and micro-oxygenation aim for softness over structure.
The finish is medium length, clean and red-fruited. It has the brisk acidity Frescobaldi builds for the table rather than the cellar.
This is Frescobaldi's everyday Chianti from the historic Tenuta Castiglioni estate. It is not a cellar wine: drink it young and lightly chilled. Vivino's 35,000-plus drinkers rate it a dependable, food-friendly 3.7. Recent vintages have earned around 90 points from James Suckling, which fits its honest, fruit-forward style.
Buying Castiglioni Chianti: an affordable Tuscan benchmark
An everyday Chianti DOCG widely stocked in the UK, from about 16 pounds a bottle up to a 1.5-litre magnum near 23 pounds. Frescobaldi makes it in standard, half and magnum formats for the table.
How Castiglioni Chianti scores for food, value and everyday drinking
A bright, food-friendly Sangiovese at an everyday price: it rates high for the table and for value, and is built to drink now rather than cellar.
Fresh, low in alcohol and inexpensive: a textbook midweek Tuscan red to open without an occasion.
Bright Sangiovese acidity and soft tannin make a versatile table red for tomato pasta, grilled beef, roast poultry and aged pecorino.
At about 16 pounds a bottle it sits below the typical Chianti DOCG price for a major Tuscan estate: strong everyday value.
A soft, fruity, low-oak expression of Sangiovese at an easy price, an approachable first Chianti with no challenging tannin or funk.
An honest everyday Chianti rather than a special-occasion bottle; the estate's prestige labels sit well above it.
Steel-aged for early drinking with light tannin and 12.5% alcohol; built to enjoy young, not to lay down.
Scoring is rule-based and deterministic. The model and weightings are documented in our Wine Fit Score methodology.
Chianti in five fields
A compact view of what the Chianti denomination actually requires, and how this bottle sits inside it. Pulled from the official Italian disciplinare.
The 2024 growing season at Tenuta Castiglioni
Frescobaldi reports a mild spring and a wet May at Castiglioni, then a moderate summer and stable autumn that let the Sangiovese ripen without heat stress, giving the 2024 its fresh, aromatic character.
- Lowest price
- £13.60
- Retailers
- 2 in stock
- Lowest price
- £8.51
- Retailers
- 6 in stock
- ABV
- 12.5%
- Window
- Drink now through 2028
A mild, even 2024 season at Castiglioni, with a wet May and a moderate summer, let the Sangiovese ripen gently. The wine is fresh and aromatic, built for early drinking over the next few years.
Drink-now / hold guidance reflects general style cues for this wine, not a forecast for a specific bottle. Where vintage-level editorial notes exist, they appear above.
Perfect Pairings
Dishes that go with this wine
Sangiovese acidity for Tuscan tables: what fits Castiglioni
Bright acidity and gentle tannin make this a natural foil for tomato ragu, grilled Tuscan beef and roast poultry, the dishes Frescobaldi itself pours it with.
Tomato pasta and meat ragu
Sangiovese's bright acidity slices through tomato's sweetness and the fat of a slow meat ragu, resetting the palate between bites. Castiglioni's fresh, low-oak style keeps pace with the herbs and acidity in the sauce.
Try with: Lasagna · Pasta alla Norma · Agnello Ragu Lucano · Pasta arrabbiata · More pairings →
Tomato-led pasta and meat ragu
Sangiovese's high acidity mirrors the acidity in a tomato ragu and keeps each forkful fresh, while its light, smooth tannins do not fight the meat. The classic Tuscan primo match.
Try with: Lasagna · Agnello Ragu Lucano · Cotoletta alla bolognese · More pairings →
Tuscan grilled beef and bistecca
The regional classic: light to medium Sangiovese with chargrilled beef. The wine's acidity cuts char and fat while its gentle tannin frames the meat without overwhelming a simple Tuscan grill.
Try with: Fiorentina steak · Cotoletta alla bolognese · More pairings →
Roast chicken and veal
At 12.5% and medium-bodied, Castiglioni Chianti matches the weight of roast chicken and veal without overpowering them, the pairing Frescobaldi names on its own sheet. Fresh acidity lifts the meat.
Try with: Cotoletta alla bolognese · Porchetta · Roast chicken · More pairings →
Roast chicken and white meats
Frescobaldi pours Castiglioni with roast chicken for good reason: fresh acidity and soft tannin lift roast-poultry fat and crisp skin, while the red fruit echoes a herb stuffing.
Try with: Roast chicken · Roast turkey · Roast pork · More pairings →
Tuscan bistecca and roast meats
The grape's fresh acidity and fine tannin cut through the fat of a chargrilled bistecca, scraping the palate clean between bites. This is the regional Tuscan pairing for Sangiovese.
Try with: Fiorentina steak · Brasato al Barolo · Porchetta · More pairings →
Braised veal and slow-cooked meats
Castiglioni's smooth, Merlot-softened tannin suits the gelatinous richness of braised veal. The acidity stops a long-cooked dish feeling heavy, and the modest 12.5% alcohol stays out of the way.
Try with: Ossobuco alla Milanese · braised veal shank · beef cheeks · More pairings →
Aged pecorino and hard cheese
Castiglioni's bright red fruit and acidity balance the salt and fat of aged pecorino, while its savoury tobacco edge bridges the cheese's nuttiness. A simple antipasto match.
Try with: Pecorino sardo e pan carasau · More pairings →
Medium-aged pecorino and cured meats
Frescobaldi names medium-matured cheese as a match: the wine's acidity and red fruit refresh the salt and fat of aged pecorino and Tuscan salami, where a heavier red would clash.
Try with: Pecorino sardo e pan carasau · aged pecorino · finocchiona salami · More pairings →
Mushroom and truffle pasta
Sangiovese's earthy, savoury side echoes mushroom and truffle, and its acidity keeps a rich, buttery pasta from cloying. Keep the sauce simple so the wine's fresh fruit shows.
Try with: Tagliatelle al tartufo di Acqualagna · Lasagna · More pairings →
Fiery chilli heat and big oaky reds' turf
Skip Castiglioni with serious chilli heat: capsaicin amplifies the wine's acidity and makes its modest alcohol feel hot and thin. It is also outgunned by dishes that call for a dense, oak-driven red.
Skip with: Chicken madras · Szechuan beef · Korean fried chicken · Chicken pad thai · Pairing guide →
Chilli heat and sweet-sour sauces
Fresh, light Sangiovese has no sweetness or oak to absorb chilli heat or sugary sweet-and-sour glazes; the alcohol amplifies the burn and the fruit reads thin. Skip it with fiery curries and sticky Asian sauces.
Skip with: Chicken madras · Sweet and sour chicken · Chicken pad thai · Pairing guide →
A short splash decant softens the first-pour edge and opens the aromatics.
Steel-aged for early drinking with light tannin and 12.5% alcohol; built to enjoy young, not to lay down.
£8.51 is the lowest tracked offer for the current vintage and we have no signal of further discounting.
Where these Castiglioni notes come from
Read directly from each retailer’s public product page once a day. Last refresh: 13 Sep 2026, 01:26 BST. We do not hold stock and we do not accept payment for placement.
Confidence · HighDrawn from what drinkers consistently report on Vivino and Wine-Searcher, summarised in our own words. A crowd read across many tasters, not a single critic.
Confidence · MediumFrom the official Italian disciplinare for this denomination, cross-checked against the Ministry of Agriculture register.
Confidence · HighOur reading of the price, drawn from the disciplinare, public UK duty rates, and typical landed-cost benchmarks. Not a quote from the producer or a retailer.
Confidence · MediumStyle guidance for this kind of wine at this price point. Treat it as advice, not a forecast for the bottle in your hand.
Confidence · MediumExplore Frescobaldi, Sangiovese and Chianti DOCG
Common Questions
It is mostly Sangiovese, around 90%, with about 10% Merlot, the classic backbone of Chianti DOCG. Frescobaldi grows the fruit at Tenuta Castiglioni in Tuscany and ages the wine only in steel.
No. Frescobaldi matures it for about six months in stainless steel with light micro-oxygenation, then a short rest in bottle. That keeps the wine fresh and fruit-forward rather than oaky.
Bright cherry and strawberry with a touch of violet, lively acidity and smooth, gentle tannin. At 12.5% alcohol it is a light to medium, easy-drinking Tuscan red.
Frescobaldi suggests pappardelle with meat ragu, roast chicken and veal; it also suits a Tuscan bistecca and medium-aged pecorino. Its acidity makes it a natural match for tomato-based pasta and pizza.
Drink it young. The 2024 is built for early enjoyment and is at its best from release to around 2028. A light chill on a warm day suits its fresh style.
UK listings run from about 16 pounds for a 750ml bottle, with a 1.5-litre magnum near 23 pounds. It is widely stocked as an affordable everyday Chianti DOCG.
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