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Castello di Pomino
North East Tuscany
Marguerite Barrett
Contributing Writer
The first wine featured in the seminar was the Pomino Benefizio from the Castello di Pomino estate. Located on the “slopes of the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines,” the Castello di Pomino is the highest and coldest point in Tuscany, and because of this also serves as the summer house for the Frescobaldi family. Because of the elevation and the climate, Sangiovese grapes, a staple of Tuscan vineyards, do not grow well here; instead, the Frescobaldis grow Chardonnay and Pinot Noir exclusively on this estate.
Exiled from Italy in 1434 for their attempted coups against the Medici, the Frescobaldis settled in France and were introduced to the vineyards and grapes of Southern France. Upon their return to Italy several centuries later, they brought with them the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes they had begun cultivating while in France. They successfully introduced both varietals into the Tuscan region, and the Pomino wines, first “recognized in 1716 by Cosimo III de’ Medici,” have been winning awards since 1800.
The Frescobaldis are the only wine producers in the Pomino region, and the estate has been designated a DOC, (Denominazione di Origine Controllata). DOC, which can be loosely translated as “controlled place name,” is the system created in 1963 to designate specific wine districts throughout Italy. Similar in concept to American Viticultural Areas (AVA), the DOC laws specify geographical areas, grape varieties, alcohol content and other factors that contribute to the final product.
The Pomino Benefizio is 100% Chardonnay, aged in oak for eight months and then refined in the bottle for an additional year. A light gold color, the nose is fruity and rich with hints of peach and melon. The wine is crisp, dry, with subtle notes of fruit, and reminded me more of a White Bordeaux than a traditional Chardonnay. Very nice, complex wine.
According to our host, Kerry Guilfoyle of Folio Wine Partners, the wine can age 20-30 years, although it is a beautiful wine if drunk within the first 3-4 years. After the first few years, the wine enters what Gilfoyle calls its “funky adolescence” which lasts about five years. Once it passes through this adolescence, the wine comes into its own and continues to mature and deepen as it ages.
The wine retails for $30 US and can be ordered online from NobleMerchants.com and found in select wine shops in the New York area.
Next stop: the Castiglioni estate and the Tenuto di Castiglioni.
Great minds think alike… Kevin and I shared a Castello di Pomino Rosso the other night at Sabatino’s.
Yum!