Winemaker Notes
A complex, kaleidoscopic wine, this wine’s berry and cherry flavors will retreat behind the already-present savory notes of graphite and cigar. Ethereal and long, its dense tannic structure enables this wine to age for decades.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Cherry, raspberry, plum and floral aromas and flavors are the hallmarks of this silky yet solidly built red. Comes together nicely on the persistent aftertaste, where mineral and wild herb accents emerge. Offers terrific balance, freshness and harmony.
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Jeb Dunnuck
A bright ruby/red color, the 2019 Brunello Di Montalcino Riserva Vigna Ripe Al Convento is spicy on opening, with layered aromas of cedar, cranberry compote, blood orange, and dried flowers. The palate brings forward wonderful energetic and refreshing acidity, with well-defined, angular tannins, and mouthwatering, salty accents. It's an exceptional and fresh Riserva with the bones to age.
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Decanter
The Ripe al Convento vineyard has always supplied Castelgiocondo’s Riserva (in years it is made). The 8ha plot flanks the top of a hill rising from 420 to 450 metres above sea level. Opening with a tangle of dusty, dry Mediterranean herbs, tamarind and carob, the 2019 exudes sense of place. Dense layers of generous dark brambly berries are hugged by ample yet fine grainy tannins. These are broad and youthfully cinching but never austere. Integrated acidity gently permeates the palate. Hearty and textured, this lingers with cocoa and a rusty tang.
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James Suckling
A bright, fruity wine with intoxicating, pristine and ripe red cherries as well as camphor notes enhanced by a floral bouquet. Solid on the attack. Full-bodied, showing lush, supple fruit, good concentration, velvety tannins and woven acidity. Toasty, sweet, tobacco aftertaste. Ready to drink now but will develop more complexity with bottle-aging. Best after 2027.
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Vinous
Crushed plums and minty herbs give way to hints of white pepper and tobacco as the 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Ripe al Convento comes to life in the glass. It washes across the palate with a tension-building wave of tart wild berries and sour citrus as crunchy mineral tones amass toward the close. It's tannic yet dramatically long with a potent staining of primary fruit all balanced by a bump of residual acidity. Bury this beast in the cellar for the best results.
Frescobaldi’s story is strictly connected with the history of Tuscany. At the high point of medieval Florence, the Frescobaldis spread their influence as bankers, becoming patrons of major works in Florence, such as Santa Trinita bridge and the Basilica of Santo Spirito.
Frescobaldi embodies the essence of Tuscany, its extraordinary vocation for viticulture and the diversity of its territories.
Frescobaldi’s uniqueness stems precisely from the representation of Toscana diversity, from its estates and from wines which express a kaleidoscope of aromas and sensations, springing from the characteristics of each individual terroir. The Estates are positioned in prime areas of Tuscany and each tells its own story, made up of nature, terroir and people.
From Tenuta Castiglioni, where the family’s 700 years of wine-growing history began, to CastelGiocondo on the Montalcino hills, to the timeless Castello Nipozzano. From the hidden gem of Castello Pomino, up to Tenuta Ammiraglia’s new horizons overlooking the sea, to Tenuta Perano a natural amphitheater in the heart of Chianti Classico, ending with Remole, that expresses all the character of Tuscany.
Behind every Frescobaldi wine lies the passion of agronomists and oenologists, who know their vineyards and terroirs down to the finest detail. Their art, creating quality wines, requires the iron rule of respect. Respect for tradition, which guide them, even in the midst of innovation or avant-garde solutions. Respect fort Tuscany, the living land, to be cultivated in harmony and serenity. Respect for each individual terroir, borne of a unique combination of soil, altitude and microclimate, each giving us a wine with its own matchless personality.
Among Italy's elite red grape varieties, Sangiovese has the perfect intersection of bright red fruit and savory earthiness and is responsible for the best red wines of Tuscany. While it is best known as the chief component of Chianti, it is also the main grape in Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and reaches the height of its power and intensity in the complex, long-lived Brunello di Montalcino. Somm Secret—Sangiovese doubles under the alias, Nielluccio, on the French island of Corsica where it produces distinctly floral and refreshing reds and rosés.
Famous for its bold, layered and long-lived red, Brunello di Montalcino, the town of Montalcino is about 70 miles south of Florence, and has a warmer and drier climate than that of its neighbor, Chianti. The Sangiovese grape is king here, as it is in Chianti, but Montalcino has its own clone called Brunello.
The Brunello vineyards of Montalcino blanket the rolling hills surrounding the village and fan out at various elevations, creating the potential for Brunello wines expressing different styles. From the valleys, where deeper deposits of clay are found, come wines typically bolder, more concentrated and rich in opulent black fruit. The hillside vineyards produce wines more concentrated in red fruits and floral aromas; these sites reach up to over 1,600 feet and have shallow soils of rocks and shale.
Brunello di Montalcino by law must be aged a minimum of four years, including two years in barrel before realease and once released, typically needs more time in bottle for its drinking potential to be fully reached. The good news is that Montalcino makes a “baby brother” version. The wines called Rosso di Montalcino are often made from younger vines, aged for about a year before release, offer extraordinary values and are ready to drink young.