Last year I shared a post entitled Brunello, a Book, and a Boston Butt: Frescobaldi CastelGiocondo Brunello di Montalcino with Italian Braised Pork, which tied in a fun read, memories of a stay in beautiful Montalcino, and a yummy pork dish.
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| I created this braised pork dish last summer, but it definitely feels more like a cold-weather dish, so it's a good time to revisit it now. |
At the time, I’d intended to write a second post to share more about the wonderful visit Greg and I had at CastelGiocondo in 2018, but as tends to happen to me a lot, time and life got away from me and I’ve never managed to get that second post up until now. Lately, I’ve been trying to share some of these I’ve-been-meaning-to-write-that posts. Revisiting travel memories has also been particularly nice recently while we continue to be grounded, so I’ll take advantage today to share memories of this sunny afternoon in Tuscany spent in the vineyards tasting delicious wines. After all, who wouldn’t want to find themselves sipping wines in a sun-drenched vineyard right now? I’m a little jealous of past me.
Brunello di Montalcino
I invite you to look back at this post for a little more background on the region and city in general, but here are some quick basics on the wine and this DOCG that surrounds the hilltop town of Montalcino.
- Brunello is one of Tuscany’s most celebrated wines and can command high prices. As is the case throughout much of the region, Sangiovese is the star grape. Brunello must be made from 100% Sangiovese and Sangiovese Grosso is the clone(s) the area is known for.
- Wines are aged for at least four years, with a minimum of two years in wood, and four months in bottle prior to release. Riserva wines get an extra year in bottle for a total of five, and six months in bottle prior to release. Even with all that aging before release, Brunellos can age for a very long time and might take quite a few years before they hit their peak.
- These wines tend to be full-bodied with lots of acidity and pronounced tannins. They’re bold and flavorful wines with a mix of red and black fruits (I tend to get lots of sour black cherry notes), espresso, leather, licorice, and there are also often earthy and herbal notes mixed in. I find these wines usually benefit from decanting, so give them time to breathe after opening. I will note though that not everyone agrees on this point. For example, the winemaker at CasteGiocondo, who we'll meet in a moment, prefers to see how the wine evolves in the glass, so he opens the bottles a bit early, but does not decant. These wines are fabulous with rich, meaty dishes and dishes driven by umami flavors like braised meats and savory stews.
CastelGiocondo
CastelGiocondo is a part of the Frescobaldi family of wineries. The estate is located southwest of Montalcino at an altitude of 300 meters. The village of CastelGiocondo overlooks the historic estate of the Frescobaldis in Montalcino, which was built in 1100 as a stronghold to defend the road leading from the sea to Siena. The property was one of the first four to begin producing Brunello di Montalcino in 1800.
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| The winery at CastelGiocondo was quite beautiful. |
In the vineyards, Filippo spent quite a bit of time explaining the different types of soils on the property for us, which include clay and sand, which are newer soils and have some marine influences. There is also schist, in particular galestro soils which Tuscany is known for, which are much older, dating back to the Crustaceous Period. They vinify the different plots separately, as wines grown from grapes on the various plots tend to age differently. He explained how some of the different soil types affect the character of Sangiovese.
Clay: Sangio grown on clay tend to be more delicate and aromatic. Most of the wines from the clay plots tend to go into their Rosso di Montalcino which is intended to be brighter and fresher for earlier consumption. Some might also be in the Brunellos for the aromatics.
Marl: Produces wines with fine tannins and beautiful finesse on the nose
Sand: Wines tend to show softer tannins, more cherry notes, and pretty aromatics.
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| You can see marine fossils in the soil - they're the rounded stones here. |
Schist (Galestro): Wines tend to be more structured with more pronounced tannins. They might choose to allow more oxygen to reach these wines (by using a smaller barrel, for example) to help soften the tannins. The galestro soils tend to produce wines with more savory and minerally qualities.
We also spent some time talking about clones. I mentioned that Brunello is known for the Sangiovese Grosso clone, or clones as it’s more likely a group of clones. Sangiovese is an ancient grape, and things get complicated with clones and biotypes when talking about grapes this old. I don’t pretend to fully understand it by any means. They have about 80 clones of Sangiovese in their vineyards, but they predominantly use about 20 of them. The clones are mixed in the vineyard to produce a sturdier crop that is more adaptable overall in their view.
There are some other very cool aspects to visiting the property, even if you don’t intend to geek out about clones and soil types. The winery has an artist residency program sponsoring three artists per year.
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| There some art exhibits and others pieces displayed around the winery. |
The winery also has rooms you can stay in on the gorgeous property and a small spa with views of the hills and their Brunello vineyards.
Wines Sampled
After our vineyard tour, we sat down with Filippo to taste through some of the wines, exploring several different vintages of the Brunellos. That tasting was set up on a terrace with a spectacular view overlooking some of the vineyards.
Campo ai Sassi Rosso di Montalcino 2016 (average price $18): They think of this wine as a “Brunellino” as it’s also made from Sangiovese, but in a fresher style than the Brunellos, although it also showed elegance and plenty of structure. The grapes for this wine were grown in clay soils. 2016 was a particularly good vintage and should age well, so it’s worth keeping an eye out for this one for a particularly good value.
Tasting Notes: Very bright strawberry and raspberry notes, with aromatic floral notes, as well as hints of herbs like rosemary.
Brunello di Montalcino 2013 (average price $60): Grapes for the Brunello are grown on schist and sandy soils.
Tasting Notes: Strawberry leather, red licorice, and medicinal herbs on the nose. A hint of meatiness and some floral violet notes joined in on the palate. The tannins were less aggressive on this one in comparison to others, and it was approachable and enjoyable. It had a savory, minerally quality which apparently is typical of the area.
Brunello di Montalcino 2010 (average price $65): This was a cool vintage, with a mild summer, and dry September, which translated into a powerful vintage with lots of minerality.
Tasting Notes: Savory herb salt, lavender, fennel, meatiness, black tea, orange rind, and forest floor came out on the nose. On the palate, it was dense with notes of raspberry, sour cherry, and a little tomato sauce. This was still young and felt like it could use more time to unwind.
It gained a fruitier quality when sampled alongside some aged cheese.
Brunello di Montalcino 2007 (average price $55): This was a warm vintage and had a broader, more mouth-filling quality than the intensely structured 2010.
Tasting Notes: The wine’s nose showed deeper, riper fruit notes of plum sauce, as well as some dried fruit notes of dates and prunes, which were balanced by a rhubarb note, as well as notes of spice and black licorice. All these notes continued on the palate but gained a more savory edge. Tannins were firm but smooth.
Ripe al Convento Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2012 (average price $116): Grapes for this wine are grown on schist and galestro soils. This was a warm vintage, but the vineyard for this wine has a different aspect than the other Brunellos and gets cooler later in the day
Tasting Notes: On the nose, the wine showed notes of stewed berries, red licorice, and kirsch. On the palate, it also showed notes of sour cherries, hints of spice, pink flowers, lavender, and a pretty herb bouquet. The wine’s tannins had smoothed out, more so than the 2010 Brunello which was older, and it also still showed a lot of verve, along with savory notes that are apparently typical of the schist soils.
We brought home a bottle of the 2013, which we enjoyed with an Italian-style braised pork dish on polenta, which was so cozy and delicious and perfect for this time of year. I’m sure it would make a great match with any of these wines.
Check out these other posts related to our Italian road trip:
This month the Italian Food Wine Travel blogging group (#ItalianFWT) are looking at Italian wines paired with braised meats or stews, hosted by Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla. You can read her invitation post here. If you read this early enough, feel free to join on our conversation on 2/6/21 on Twitter at 8 am PT/11 am ET by following #ItalianFWT.
- Braised Beef Short Ribs in Red Wine Sauce +2012 Produttori del Barbaresco by ENOFYLZ Wine Blog
- Braised Brisket with Donnachiara’s Kapemort Aglianico by Vino Travels
- Braised Pork Ragù over Pasta + Bruna Grimaldi Nebbiolo d'Alba 2017 by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
- Chianti Beef Stew by Our Good Life
- Dolcettto d'Alba: A Food-Friendly Bet for Braised Chicken by My Full Wine Glass
- Farina Amarone della Valpolicella with Ground Pork in Karela Rings by Chinese Food & Wine Pairings
- Home Cooking with Sabrina Tedeschi and the Wines of Agricola Tedeschi by Grape Experiences
- Hunter's Style Chicken and Cantina di Filippo by FoodWineClick!
- Pasta e Ceci with Chianti Classico from astellina by The Swirling Dervish
- Pasta with Pork Braised in Red Wine with Tasca d'Almerita Lamuri Nero d'Avola 2018 by A Day in the Life on the Farm
- The Most Tender Short Ribs You'll Ever Have, Perfectly Paired With Red Wines From Abruzzo by The Wine Chef
- Warming Up Winter with Braised Oxtail and Casa Bottega Ripasso Superiore by The Quirky Cork
- What’s the Difference? 3 Organic Montepulciano: Vino Nobile,d’Abruzzo, and Molise Paired with Ragu by Wine Predator
On my visit to the winery, in addition to touring the castle and enjoying lunch at the restaurant, I also had the pleasure of having a long chat with winemaker Massimiliano Biagi. He walked me through many aspects of the terroir and shared details of the extensive research the winery has conducted in the region.
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| Massimiliano Biagi discussing soil types during the group tour and tasting. I got to speak with him in further depth afterwards. Sorry the pic is a bit fuzzy, as it was taken from far away |
In my previous post I shared some of the Ricasoli’s amazing history. Now allow me to pass on some of the details Biagi shared with me about the modern-day research that’s been conducted at the winery.
Let’s geek out!
Between 2005 and 2007, the Ricasoli began to replant sections of its vineyards and they took advantage of the situation to conduct in depth soil analyses. They found 19 different soil types on their property, but five that are particularly important. Biagi explained their characteristics to me at the time; however, happily they are also laid out on their website from where I’ve borrowed these descriptions:
2. Galestro (schist-based soil) or Brolio’s argillite. The soils are very thin and the geological formations found in this area are the Scaglia Toscana and the Macigno del Chianti Formation. The altitude ranges from 400 to 500 meters above sea level, vineyard exposure to the west, northwest, and south; vine- density from 5,500 to 6,600 plants per hectare. Vines: Sangiovese. Wine with high tannin content, complex structure, and intense minerality.
3. Marine deposits. Pliocene marine sediments, with sandy deposits and rocks smoothed by the action of the sea, and clay at deeper levels. Good levels of organic matter. Altitudes in this area range from 300 to 350 meters above sea level, variable exposure, vine-density from 5,500 to 6,600 plants per hectare. Vines: predominantly Sangiovese. Wines produced from these soils are fresh, with spicy notes, elegant acidity and distinct minerality. (In addition to added freshness, he noted as well that these wines tended to be deeper in color.)
4. Ancient Fluvial Terrace (simply put, river stones). Fluvial-lacustrine deposits formed in the Pliocene-Pleistocene period. The deposits are silty, poorly structured, with clay. The altitude varies between 260 to 300 meters above sea level, southern exposure. Vines: Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon, vine-density from 5,500 to 6,600 plants per hectare. Wines with a complex range of aromas, well-structured, high tannin content, body, and persistence. (He explained to me that once upon a time, an avalanche shifted the position of these soils. These wines tend to show more balsamic herbs than some of the others.)
5. Sandstone. This soil is commonly called Arenarie, on the Macigno del Chianti Formation, composed by sands and rocks, well drained and furnished with little organic matter. High elevations ranging from 400 to 500 meters above sea level and variable exposure, vine-density from 5,500 to 6,600 plants per hectare. Vines: Sangiovese, Merlot, Chardonnay. The soils yield complex and well-structured wines. This area is especially well suited to viticulture and includes part of the Casalferro vineyard. (While Alberese and Galestro are quite famed soils of the region, Biagi also noted this soil as a “backbone” of Chianti Classico.)
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| Examples of stones from the different terroirs on display at Castello di Brolio |
They harvest and vinify all plots separately, and do 2 harvests for each plot. With all of this specificity, they’re planning to expand their single vineyard bottling lines. (Examples of two of these wines are described below.)
In addition, the winery has done a lot of research into the Sangiovese clones on their property. Prior to starting to replant, they took clonal selections from the vines that were to be replaced. There were 50 different selections, 10 of which were preferred. They began making official selections, then studied and observed how these did. Two of the Sangiovese clonal selections were submitted to the national registry , as well as one of Colorino.
They’ve also begun studying and cataloguing the native yeasts on the property. At the point of this visit, Biagi noted that they’d found two specific yeasts that they really like above the others, and are studying how to cultivate these preferred native yeasts.
They farm sustainably. They do use some selectively spray in a very targeted way when needed, but the sprays are tested to make sure they have minimal impact on the environment. That also have weather stations that are able to check for diseases. Information from these stations gets sent to a university for analysis, so that they might be alerted of any problems and treat them early.
Wines Tasted On Location
I had the pleasure of tasting several of their wines, including the Brolio Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG 2015 and the Castello di Brolio Chianti Classico Gran Selezione 2015, which I shared in the previous post. Here are a few more brief notes on wines tasted on the visit:
Brolio Chianti Classico DOCG 2016
Production Area: Estate in Chianti Classico. This wine comes from vineyards reflecting the five geological areas described at elevations between 290 meters to 500 meters (853 to 1, 640 feet high) and with different exposures. Vineyard soils vary greatly but all are strewn with stony fragments adding mineral richness.
Aging: 9 months in tonneaus of second and third passage.
Nose: Sour cherry, flowers, fresh herbs, particularly rosemary and bit of cedar.
Palate: The sour cherry comes back, tomato leaf, cedar. Fresh and fruity.
Recommended pairings: Panini, pasta with ragu.
Casalferro Toscana 2015
Production Area: Single vineyard wine named for the vineyard on the estate located at 400 meters above sea level and facing south. The soils are brown clay loam with little organic content. They found this vineyard produces rather extraordinary Merlot and decided to make it on it’s own. It’s only made in the best years.
Aging: 18 months into tonneaux, 30% new oak.
Nose: Cedar, menthol, green olives, cherry, red plum, cassis, and rosemary.
Palate: Bright and lush with lots of herbs. Pepper, spice and vanilla, with light hints of flowers mixed in with the herbs. Velvety up front with a little tannic grip on the finish.
Recommended Pairings: Lamb chops, boar, game with rosemary.
Colledilà Chianti Classico Gran Selezione 2015
Production area: This is a single vineyard wine named for the particular vineyard on their Chianti Classico Estate. Colledilà vineyard is on the Monte Morello geological formation called Monte Morello with Alberese soils. It is located at 390 meters above sea level and has a southeastern exposure.
Aging: 18 months in 500-litre tonneaus of which 30% new and 70% second passage.
Nose: Pine needles, roses and a little orange peel, and cherries.
Palate: Sour cherry and black tea. Velvety up front, but very grippy on the finish. Definitely still a very young wine and needs more time, but was lovely even in its youth.
Pairing Brolio-Bettino Chianti Classico at Home
I brought several wines home from our trip, but the one I opened on this occasion was the Brolio-Bettino Chianti Classico 2015 because this is the wine they see as being a modern representation of the “Ricasoli Formula” laid out by Barone Bettino Ricasol in 1872, as described in this post. In addition to Sangiovese, it has 10% Abrusco (their clone of Colorino).
Given the structure of the wine, we decided on a dish that would have some richness, since the structure of the wine seemed like it could handle it, and also because the weather was already starting to turn chilly. The wine didn’t seem to need a heavy meat, so we opted for pork. I decided to make an Italian take on pulled pork flavored with lots of herbs and spices reflecting those we’d tasted in the wine.
Since we had a party to go to in the afternoon, I decided to prepare the pork in my slow cooker in the morning, so as to have dinner waiting for us in the evening. I find that pulled pork freezes well, so I made a lot to have plenty of leftovers. I used a few of different recipes as guidelines, but I particularly liked the suggestion in this one to us the oven to initially brown the pork. I was going to sear it on the stove-top, which is faster, but this is much easier.) I also made a simple white bean side dish, partly because I thought they’d add to the cozy, comfort food factor of the meal, and as well because beans are a key part of Tuscan cuisine.
It was a great pairing! The combination helped further smooth out the tannins in the wine. The flavors in the wine and the food mirrored each other, as hoped. Additionally, the fruit flavors were brought into further focus in the combo – the cherry in the wine in particular began to shine through even more when sipped with the food.
Geeky Details for the Brolio-Bettino Chianti Classico 2015
Blend: 90% Sangiovese, 10% Abrusco (colorino).
Fermentation: Traditional in small stainless steel tanks. Maceration on the skins for 14-16 days at controlled temperature of 24°C-27° C (75.2°– 80.6°F).
Aging: 18 months in big casks and at least three/six months in the bottle. Unfiltered wine.
Average Price: $20. (Per Wine-Searcher.com for this vintage. I purchased my bottle at the winery.) I think that’s a really great buy for classic example of the style from a benchmark producer. I’ll call it an Overachiever.
Slow Cooker Italian Pulled Pork
ingredients:
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp oregano
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp fennel pollen or fennel seeds
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- 5.5 to 6 lbs Boston Butt Pork (shoulder)
- 4 tsp Wondra flour, plus more for sprinkling
- 1 large onion, diced
- 4 to 6 garlic cloves
- 1 14.5-oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
- ½ cup stock (I used pork stock, but chicken or vegetable stock is fine)
- 2-3 sprigs of rosemary
- 1-2 Bay Leaves
- Pinch of orange zest
- Salt
- Olive Oil
instructions:
How to cook Slow Cooker Italian Pulled Pork
- Preheat oven to 500°F.
- Mix together the ingredients for the rub.
- Drizzle a little olive oil over the pork. Sprinkle about half of the spice mixture and generous sprinkling of salt over the pork and rub in well. Place in a roasting pan, then sprinkle a dusting of flour over the top. (You can use regular flour for this part, if you prefer.) Place the pan in the oven and roast for 10-15 minutes or until nicely browned on top. You’re essentially trying to achieve a sear, so you want some color. Feel free to switch to the broiler setting for a couple of minutes if you want to deepen the color further.
- Place the onions, garlic, and diced tomatoes in the slow cooker with the remaining spic rub mix and a generous sprinkling of salt. Carefully transfer the pork to the slow cooker, then add the remaining ingredients. Mix 4 tablespoons of Wondra flour with ½ cup of water (or per package instructions) and add to the pot as well. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours or on HIGH for 5 to 6 hours, or until the pork falls apart easily with a fork.
- If the sauce in the pot is too liquidy at the end of the cooking time, transfer the liquid to a pot on the stove and simmer uncovered until it has reduced to a desired consistency. (Tip: If you’re making the white beans as a side dish for the pork, save ½ -1 cup to use as cooking liquid.)
- Transfer pork to a bowl and shred with two forks. Once it’s all shredded, mix together with the sauce and serve
White Beans with Sun Dried Tomatoes
ingredients:
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 (15-oz) cans white beans (like cannellini or great northern beans)
- 2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Tbsp chopped sun dried tomatoes
- 1 Tbsp dried oregano
- ½ cup cooking liquid or stock of your choice (i.e. chicken, veggie, etc. Note: In this case I used some reserved cooking liquid from the pork. Even water will do in a pinch.) Use more as needed.
- Salt, as needed
- Pinch of pepper
- Olive oil
instructions:
How to cook White Beans with Sun Dried Tomatoes
- Pour a little olive oil (a tablespoon or so) into a pot, and sweat the onions over medium heat with a pinch of salt and pepper until soft and translucent – about 10 minutes. Add a little liquid to the pot if the onions begin to brown.
- Add the white beans to the pot, followed by the garlic, sun dried tomatoes, and oregano. Gradually add the cooking liquid or stock, until your preferred consistency is reached. (Keep more on hand to add as needed.) Add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for about 10 minutes to allow the flavors to come together. Serve.
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