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.
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.
Frescobaldi's steel-only ageing keeps the aromatics 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.
Rose petal
Violet
Black cherry
Blackcurrant
Cherry
Plum
Raspberry
StrawberryThe 90% Sangiovese drives bright, mouth-watering acidity while 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 fresh and red-berried, finishing dry. Frescobaldi's 11-day steel maceration and micro-oxygenation aim for softness over structure.
Medium length, clean and red-fruited, with the brisk acidity Frescobaldi builds for the table rather than the cellar.
This is Frescobaldi's everyday Chianti from the historic Tenuta Castiglioni estate, not a cellar wine: drink it young and lightly chilled. Vivino's 35,000-plus drinkers rate it a dependable, food-friendly 3.7, and recent vintages have earned around 90 points from James Suckling, which fits its honest, fruit-forward style.
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.
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.
Scoring is rule-based and deterministic. The model and weightings are documented in our editorial methodology.
A compact view of what the Chianti denomination actually requires, and how this bottle sits inside it. Pulled from the official Italian disciplinare.
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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.
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.
Seven centuries of Frescobaldi history at Tenuta Castiglioni in the Val di Pesa, hand-harvested Sangiovese and steel-only ageing keep this an honest, affordable Chianti DOCG rather than a cellar wine.
Italian wine law sorts bottles into a pyramid. DOCG sits at the top: tightly drawn boundaries, prescribed grapes, mandatory ageing, government tasting before release. DOC is the same idea with looser thresholds. IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) is broader still, requiring only that 85% of the grapes come from the named territory.
Chianti is in the DOCG tier. That is not a quality verdict, it is a description of how much freedom the producer has at vinification and ageing.
Chianti falls within Tuscany , covering Tuscany. The denomination is further divided into 7 sub-zones.
Sangiovese and Merlot grown and hand-picked at Frescobaldi's Val di Pesa estate, not bulk-bought, hold a quality floor above supermarket Chianti at this roughly 16-pound price.
Six months in stainless steel with micro-oxygenation, rather than costly French oak, keeps barrel and cellar costs low and helps hold the bottle near 16 pounds.
Frescobaldi's volume and established UK import keep the Castiglioni line affordable; three UK retailers list it from 15.88 pounds.
DOCG certification, with its yield limits and a minimum three months' ageing, adds compliance cost versus a simple IGT Tuscan red.
UK still-wine duty of about 2.67 pounds a bottle plus 20% VAT account for roughly 5.30 pounds of a 15.88-pound shelf price before the wine itself.
The 1.5-litre magnum, listed near 23 pounds, carries higher glass and handling cost per litre than the standard 750ml at 15.88 pounds.
Dishes that complement this wine
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.
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
Best in the years above; holds without falling over either side.
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.
£15.88 is the lowest tracked offer for the current vintage and we have no signal of further discounting.
Read directly from each retailer’s public product page once a day. Last refresh: 7 Jun 2026, 15:10 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 · MediumIt 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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