Castello Trebbio Toscana Congiura Bianco 2014
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The Castle, built before the XII century, is linked to the history of the Pazzi, a rich family of bankers during the Florentine Renaissance who, between the XII and XIV centuries, acquired ownership of all the land surrounding the castle, making it their stronghold. The historical “Pazzi Conspiracy” was hatched in these rooms. In fact, in an attempt to remove the hegemony of the Medici family, the most powerful family in Florence, and with the support of Pope Sisto IV, who was also interested in their fall for economic and political reasons, on April 26th 1478, Giuliano and his brother, Lorenzo de’ Medici, were attacked in Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral during Mass. The former was killed, while Lorenzo the Magnificent, although wounded, managed to save himself by taking refuge in the Sacristy of Masses. The ruinous epilogue of the story consolidated the power of the Medici family and sanctioned the end of the Pazzi’s authority.
In 1968, the Baj Macario family bought the Castle and the surrounding land, transforming a testimony of history into the flourishing winery and agritourism company that it is today. If it is true that people make the difference, Anna Baj Macario and her husband Stefano Casadei have certainly done so for Castello del Trebbio over the past thirty years. Their dreams have been transformed into projects that are now taking shape under the name of DCasadei, a company group which includes Castello del Trebbio, as well as the other group estates Casadei and Olianas, and which operates according to the principles of Biointegrale® sustainability.
Together they have been able to build an authentic, genuine reality, which, from the initial wine and olive production, has expanded its offer with the food line I Puri and the cosmetic line I Naturali.
With hundreds of white grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended white wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used in white wine blends, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a variety that creates a soft and full-bodied white wine blend, like Chardonnay, would do well combined with one that is more fragrant and naturally high in acidity. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
One of the most iconic Italian regions for wine, scenery and history, Tuscany is the world’s most important outpost for the Sangiovese grape. Tuscan wine ranges in style from fruity and simple to complex and age-worthy, Sangiovese makes up a significant percentage of plantings here, with the white Trebbiano Toscano coming in second.
Within Tuscany, many esteemed wines have their own respective sub-zones, including Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. The climate is Mediterranean and the topography consists mostly of picturesque rolling hills, scattered with vineyards.
Sangiovese at its simplest produces straightforward pizza-friendly Tuscan wines with bright and juicy red fruit, but at its best it shows remarkable complexity and ageability. Top-quality Sangiovese-based wines can be expressive of a range of characteristics such as sour cherry, balsamic, dried herbs, leather, fresh earth, dried flowers, anise and tobacco. Brunello, an exceptionally bold Tuscan wine, expresses well the particularities of vintage variations and is thus popular among collectors. Chianti is associated with tangy and food-friendly dry wines at various price points. A more recent phenomenon as of the 1970s is the “Super Tuscan”—a red wine made from international grape varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Syrah, with or without Sangiovese. These are common in Tuscany’s coastal regions like Bolgheri, Val di Cornia, Carmignano and the island of Elba.