Tenuta Frescobaldi Castiglioni 2023 75cl
This is the wine that carries the family name, and it is a Tuscan take on Bordeaux — half Cabernet Sauvignon, with Merlot, Cabernet Franc and a splash of Sangiovese for local accent. Tenuta Castiglioni is the Frescobaldi estate in the Val di Pesa, south-west of Florence, and thought to be the oldest of all their properties.
The international grapes are no gimmick here; the family have grown Cabernet and Merlot on these hills for decades, and the Sangiovese keeps the wine honest — that Tuscan savoury edge stops it drifting into anonymity. Ageing is gentle: around a year in barrique, then a couple of months settling in bottle.
The 2023 pours a bright ruby with purple flashes. The nose is all dark fruit — blueberry, blackcurrant and plum — trimmed with star anise and black pepper, and a note of roasted coffee bean underneath. On the palate it is warm, soft and round, the fruit generous, the spice delicate, the finish fresh and clean. Approachable is the word, but not simple.
At £22.99 this is smart everyday drinking — a Bordeaux blend with Italian manners, ready to open tonight without ceremony. Your new midweek red that still holds its own at a dinner. Drink over the next three or four years.
How to Serve
Serve at 16–18°C in a standard red-wine glass. No decanting required, though it will happily take twenty minutes of air.
Where to Drink It
The Wolseley for an easy weeknight supper. Brat in Shoreditch alongside something off the grill. Dandy on Maltby Street for a relaxed, wine-led evening.
Food Pairings
A simple roast — chicken or pork — suits its rounded fruit. Or a plate of good charcuterie and a hunk of pecorino.
