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Castiglion del Bosco s one of the founding members of the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino, Castiglion del Bosco introduced the world to its exemplary wines in the 1950's from their beautiful estate that is now owned by the Ferragamo family. Rosso di Montalcino is the baby brother of Brunello di Montalcino. This varietal is typically a third of the price, but certainly not a third the quality. The grapes usually come from the delimited area of Montalcino except that the vines are younger. They have to be at least seven years old, spend three years in barrel and another two in the bottle before release. They typically need a minimum of 10 years to age. The Estate's 170 acres of vineyards are located 1,000 feet above sea level. They enjoy a microclimate strongly influenced by the sea with hot, dry summers and constant winds that reduce humidity. The soil here is characterized by the presence of sandstone, layers of clay and galestro, a typical Tuscan stone. The richness of the galestro stone in the soil gives the wine its unique aroma, complexity and structure. The grapes are picked by hand and make their way to the Estate's new 39,000 square-foot winery, a complete gravity-fed facility. Following a double grape selection done entirely by hand, ensuring that only the best grapes go into fermentation, the grapes are poured into stainless-steel tanks. Since no pumps are used in this phase, the grapes avoid any damage before fermentation. Here the Sangiovese grapes spend 15 to 18 days in fully automated fermentation tanks, where the temperature and mixing is programmed electronically to ensure optimum quality, flavor and richness. After fermentation, Castiglion del Bosco Brunello ages the wine in French oak barrels. Our selection is a classic Rosso. Rather large and imposing in the front, but easing out in the back of the mouth to present a rich, extracted experience from beginning to end. A beautiful offering at an incredible price to match grilled venison or wild boar. November Vintners Series Newsletter (.pdf) |
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