The family business based in Florence in Tuscany (Italy) has a very long tradition. The family can be traced back to 1300 in Florence and rose from the 15th to the 17th century to become one of the wealthiest and most influential Florentine families. They built their wealth on banking and the textile trade. Among other things, they financed ruling houses, such as the English royal family. Very early on, the family was involved in viticulture and agriculture. As early as the 14th century, wines were supplied to many European ruling courts. Prominent customers included the English King Henry VIII (1491-1547), Cosimo III de' Medici (1642-1723) and the Fugger merchant family in Augsburg, through whom the wines were also distributed. The famous painter and sculptor Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564) is said to have exchanged works of art for wine from Frescobaldi. The family was ennobled as Marchesi de' Frescobaldi in the 16th century during the time of the "Principato" (Grand Duchy of Tuscany). Today Frescobaldi is one of the largest and most important producers of quality wines in Tuscany.
Company goals (vision, mission)
The company was converted into a joint-stock company in 1980, with the entire share package being owned by the family. After the death of his father, Vittorio Frescobaldi (*1928) took over the management and was supported by his brothers Ferdinando and Leonardo. After a sound education in Italy and California, Lamberto Frescobaldi, already the 30th generation, has been responsible for the entire Frescobaldi Group since 2013. He was elected as the new president of the oldest Italian wine association Unione Italiana Vini in 2022.
On the company's website, the goals are defined. The vision: We want to set standards in Tuscany as a winery and dedicate ourselves exclusively to the promotion of its different areas by using the diversity of our terroirs, practising sustainable cultivation and promoting the culture of Tuscany. The mission: The name Frescobaldi stands for the responsibility to always produce the best Tuscan variety, in a sustainable way through: Environmentally sustainable land management to produce exquisite wines that perfectly express all the diversity of our family estate. Communicating and promoting the culture of Tuscany and its different territories, through our property, our wines and our valuable projects (Gorgona, artists, Laudemio, restaurants, etc.).
Wineries
The Frescobaldi family empire comprises a total of ten wineries, nine of which are in Tuscany. The vineyards add up to a total vineyard area of over 1,200 hectares. All the estates also have their own cellars, each with its own agronomists and oenologists, where the wines are produced independently.
The oldest estate is Tenuta Castiglioni, where Frescobaldi wine was first produced in the 13th century. It covers over 500 hectares of land, 150 are planted with vines. The red wine "Tenuta Frescobaldi di Castiglioni" is a cuvée of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Sangiovese. The Castello Pomino vineyard in the Pomino DOC area covers over 100 hectares, mainly planted with Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Traminer and Riesling. The flagships are the white wine cuvée "Pomino Benefizio" aged in barrique and a Vin Santo.
Castello Nipozzano is located in the heart of the Chianti-Rufina region. The vineyards cover around 300 hectares of vines, mainly planted with the red wine varieties Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Canaiolo Nero, Malvasia Nera di Brindisi and Petit Verdot. The main wines are "Nipozzano Riserva" from Sangiovese with smaller portions of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, as well as the single-varietal "Montesodi" from Sangiovese.
The origins of Tenuta CastelGiocondo go back to the year 1100. The vineyards cover 235 hectares in Montalcino. The DOCG Brunello di Montalcino is produced here, as well as the red wines "Luce" (Sangiovese and Merlot) and "Lamaione" (Merlot). The Rèmole winery is located in the municipality of Sieci, east of Florence, where the historical archives of the Frescobaldi family are housed. The IGT wines Rèmole Rosso, Rèmole Bianco and Rèmole Rosato are produced here.
The Tenuta Ammiraglia winery is located in the heart of the Maremma. The red wines produced here include "Pietraregia" (a Morellino di Scansano Riserva made from Sangiovese) and "Terre More Cabernet" (a cuvée of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Syrah), the rosé "Alìe" (Syrah and Vermentino), as well as the white wine "Massovino" (made from Vermentino). The latest property to be acquired in 2014 is the Tenuta Perano vineyard in Gaiole in the DOCG Chianti Classico area. The vineyards cover over 50 hectares of vines with the main variety Sangiovese and the Chianti secondary varieties.
The white wine "Gorgona" from Vermentino and Ansonica (Inzolia) is produced on the prison island of the same name by the convicts housed there. Here they spend the last part of their sentence in nature to develop vocational skills that support their reintegration into society and the world of work. With this project, Frescobaldi wants to contribute to the resocialisation of prisoners. The proceeds from the sale of the wine are used to finance training courses for the prisoners and measures for their reintegration.
In 1995, a joint venture was signed with the Californian company Mondavi, and in 2002 they jointly took over the winery. Ornellaia e Masseto the winery. After the Mondavi sale in 2005, Frescobaldi is now the sole owner. Outside Tuscany, the estate also includes the 44-hectare Attems vineyard in the Collio Goriziano area (Friuli Venezia Giulia).
all pictures: © Frescobaldi Toscana
