Frescobaldi's single-vineyard Brunello Riserva from CastelGiocondo: 100% Sangiovese grown at 450m on galestro soils, released after six years. Morello cherry, tobacco and leather over silky tannins. Built for Tuscan roasts and aged pecorino.
Drawn from the Ripe al Convento vineyard at 450 metres on galestro soils, this 100% Sangiovese matures six years before release. Vivino drinkers (4.4 from over 4,800 ratings) consistently flag tobacco, leather and dark-cherry depth.
The bouquet opens on morello cherry, blackcurrant and blueberry, then turns to the tobacco, leather and sweet spice that six years of ageing bring. Frescobaldi notes white pepper and nutmeg over a violet-tinged floral lift, while Vivino drinkers most often record tobacco, oak and earthy aromas.
Violet
Black cherry
Blackcurrant
Tobacco
Leather
Black pepper
Liquorice
VanillaGrown at 450 metres on galestro and schist soils, the Sangiovese carries a generous, full body with bright acidity and ripe, compact tannins the estate describes as velvety and silky. Dark cherry and plum sit against savoury leather and liquorice.
Long and savoury, closing on tobacco, dried herb and a balsamic, liquorice-edged trace the estate ties to its extended wood ageing.
CastelGiocondo's single-vineyard Riserva sits at the top of Frescobaldi's Montalcino range, released only in stronger years and built to age. Vivino rates it 4.4 from more than 4,800 drinkers, who praise its depth while noting a pronounced oak signature.
Six vintages are listed, from the difficult 2014 to the five-star 2016 and 2019, priced between roughly £105 and £127. CastelGiocondo makes this Riserva only when the season earns it.
A structured, age-worthy Montalcino Riserva: strong on food and occasion, built for the cellar, and priced above the Brunello median rather than for everyday drinking.
Bright Sangiovese acidity and ripe tannin make it a classic match for red meat, braises and aged cheese; very versatile within its savoury register.
Single-vineyard Brunello Riserva from a benchmark Montalcino estate, scoring mid-90s with critics; a genuine occasion and gifting wine.
Brunello Riserva with mandated long ageing, firm tannin and 14.5% alcohol; five-star vintages keep 20 years or more.
A textbook Sangiovese expression, but tannic, structured and priced for special occasions; more rewarding for enthusiasts than newcomers.
Scoring is rule-based and deterministic. The model and weightings are documented in our editorial methodology.
A compact view of what the Brunello di Montalcino denomination actually requires, and how this bottle sits inside it. Pulled from the official Italian disciplinare.
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The Consorzio rated 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2019 at five stars and 2012 at four; 2014 was a cool, rainy outlier. Every Riserva is held six years in cellar before Frescobaldi releases it.
A five-star vintage released in its sixth year; classic in structure with deep fruit and firm tannin, just entering its drinking window.
A benchmark five-star vintage, widely rated among the finest of the decade: balanced, fresh and built for two decades or more.
A five-star, sun-filled vintage giving a ripe, opulent and full-bodied Brunello with velvety tannins; long-lived.
A cool, rainy season and one of Montalcino's weakest recent years; lighter and earlier-drinking, best enjoyed without long ageing.
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.
One south-facing vineyard at 450 metres, hand-harvested with grape-by-grape sorting, then six years of ageing and bottle refinement before sale. James Suckling and Robert Parker score recent Riservas in the mid-90s.
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.
Brunello di Montalcino 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.
Brunello di Montalcino falls within Tuscany , covering Comune di Montalcino, Toscana.
Ripe al Convento is one estate vineyard at altitude on poor galestro and schist soils; low-yield site Sangiovese costs far more than blended Montalcino fruit.
Frescobaldi holds the wine until the sixth year after harvest, financing years of barrel, cellar and bottle stock before a single bottle near £105 is sold.
Manual picking and berry-by-berry selection in vineyard and cellar add labour that machine-harvested wines avoid.
CastelGiocondo skips the Riserva in weaker years, so selection and scarcity push the price above the £76 Brunello median.
UK alcohol duty of £2.67 plus 20% VAT account for roughly £20 of a £105 bottle before any retailer margin.
Frescobaldi's size and CastelGiocondo's extensive Montalcino holding spread fixed costs, keeping this Riserva below boutique single-vineyard Brunellos that fetch £150 or more.
Dishes that complement this wine
The wine's ripe tannin and bright acidity call for fat and protein. Tuscan tradition pours it with bistecca alla fiorentina, slow braises and aged pecorino.
Ripe al Convento's ripe, compact tannins, velvety after six years of ageing, need the protein and char-fat of a rare Tuscan T-bone to resolve. Bright Sangiovese acidity then cuts the marbling.
Try with: Fiorentina steak · Ossobuco alla Milanese · Ribeye steak · More pairings →
Bright Sangiovese acidity slices through the gelatinous fat of long braises, while the wine's savoury, sweet-spice tertiary notes echo the slow-cooked meat.
Try with: Agnello Ragu Lucano · Brasato al Barolo · Lasagna · More pairings →
The earthy, leather and mushroom tertiary notes, the single most cited character among Vivino drinkers, bridge to dried-porcini and truffle risotto; both share an autumnal, forest-floor register.
Try with: Porcini mushroom risotto · Truffle risotto · More pairings →
The salt and crystalline crunch of aged sheep's cheese tame the wine's tannin and lift its red-cherry fruit. The Italian trade traditionally pours this Riserva with formaggi stagionati.
Try with: Pecorino sardo e pan carasau · aged Pecorino Toscano · mature Parmigiano · More pairings →
The wine's full body and firm structure stand up to gamey roast meats, and its tobacco and leather notes complement their savoury depth.
Try with: Roast Pheasant · Venison Stew · Roast Duck · More pairings →
Firm tannin and 14.5% alcohol amplify chilli burn and bitterness, and the wine overwhelms delicate white fish and clashes with sweet-sour or sugary glazes.
Skip with: Sweet and sour pork · Lamb biryani · fresh oysters · Pairing guide →
Five-star vintages like 2016 and 2019 reward 15 to 25 years in the cellar. Frescobaldi's six-year pre-release ageing means the wine arrives approachable but built to keep.
Peak around 2035. Best in the years above; holds without falling over either side.
A short splash decant softens the first-pour edge and opens the aromatics.
Brunello Riserva with mandated long ageing, firm tannin and 14.5% alcohol; five-star vintages keep 20 years or more.
£104.50 is the lowest tracked offer for the current vintage and we have no signal of further discounting.
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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 the single-vineyard Brunello di Montalcino Riserva from Frescobaldi's CastelGiocondo estate in Montalcino, made only in stronger vintages from 100% Sangiovese grown at 450 metres on galestro and schist soils.
Frescobaldi releases it in the sixth year after harvest. Five-star vintages such as 2016 and 2019 will keep and improve for 20 to 25 years, and most bottles drink best from roughly ten years after the vintage.
Expect morello cherry and dark berry over tobacco, leather and sweet spice, with ripe, silky tannins and a long, savoury finish. Drinkers on Vivino most often record its oak, tobacco and earthy character.
Tuscan grilled and roasted red meat, slow braises such as ossobuco, game and aged pecorino. The wine's bright acidity and firm tannin need the fat and protein these dishes provide.
At around £105 to £127 a bottle it sits above the Brunello median of about £76, a premium for a single-vineyard Riserva aged six years before release. For a benchmark Montalcino producer it is fair rather than cheap.
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