Castelgiocondo Brunello di Montalcino 2010
Castelgiocondo (Marchesi Frescobaldi) · 2010 · Varietal Sangiovese (Brunello)
$69.99 · K&L Wines · ordered 2026-02-09 · sku 1186042
'It's good? It's nothing amazing.' Certainly a good wine and easy to drink, but not as wow'd as by the Left Bank Bordeaux — no 'HELL yeah this is good' the way the Gloria and the pricier bottles land. Couldn't tell any specific notes or tastes from it; nothing popped out. The structure side passed (full body, density, aftertaste, not too light or blended) — what was missing was the pop and the spark. On repurchase: 'I'd definitely drink more Brunellos in the future' — a yes to the style, liked-not-loved on this bottle.
entries reconstructed retroactively, 2026-07-19
A mature, savoury Brunello from a legendary vintage — dark wild cherry drying toward dried cherry, wrapped in cedar, leather and balsamic over fine, still-firm tannin and bright acidity.
Descriptors
click a term to see why it attaches to this wine
red cherry
present in this bottle’s notesclassic for Brunello di Montalcino DOCGclassic for Sangioveseblack cherry
present in this bottle’s notesclassic for Brunello di Montalcino DOCGclassic for Sangioveseplum
present in this bottle’s notesclassic for Brunello di Montalcino DOCGclassic for Sangioveseviolet
present in this bottle’s notesclassic for Brunello di Montalcino DOCGclassic for Sangiovesedried herbs
present in this bottle’s notesclassic for Brunello di Montalcino DOCGclassic for Sangiovesepotpourri
present in this bottle’s notesclassic for Brunello di Montalcino DOCGclassic for Sangiovesesaline
present in this bottle’s notesclassic for Brunello di Montalcino DOCGclassic for Sangioveseforest floor
present in this bottle’s notesclassic for Brunello di Montalcino DOCGclassic for Sangiovesecedar
present in this bottle’s notesclassic for Brunello di Montalcino DOCGclassic for Sangiovesebaking spice
present in this bottle’s notesclassic for Brunello di Montalcino DOCGclassic for Sangiovesesmoke
present in this bottle’s notesdried cherry
present in this bottle’s notesclassic for Brunello di Montalcino DOCGclassic for Sangioveseleather
present in this bottle’s notesclassic for Brunello di Montalcino DOCGclassic for Sangiovesebalsamic
present in this bottle’s notesclassic for Brunello di Montalcino DOCGclassic for Sangiovesetobacco
present in this bottle’s notesclassic for Brunello di Montalcino DOCGclassic for SangioveseThe vintage
A cooler, later 2010: good spring rainfall recharged the soils, followed by a warm, dry summer of regular temperatures, then an ideal September of warm days and cool nights that let Sangiovese ripen slowly and completely.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest modern Brunello vintages — a classic, structured, cellar-built year prized for Sangiovese purity, bright acidity, fine tannins and finesse over sheer power, with long ageing potential. At Castelgiocondo the year coincided with a return to a fresher, more traditional, less oak-driven style.
Vineyard
Varied Montalcino hillside soils — clay and sand with galestro (schist) and limestone — free-draining and warm.
Vineyards at roughly 300–400 m; a warm, dry, early-ripening corner of the appellation sheltered by Monte Amiata.
Estate vineyards on the Castelgiocondo property in the south-west quadrant of Montalcino.
In the cellar & winery
Fermentation and maceration in temperature-controlled stainless steel with frequent pump-overs.
Aged principally in large Slavonian oak casks (with some French oak), meeting the DOCG minimum of at least two years in wood, then at least four months in bottle before release.
From the 2010 vintage the estate visibly pulled back overt new-oak character (cinnamon, dark chocolate, chewing tobacco) to foreground Sangiovese; the winemaking team's Bordeaux training is combined with Montalcino's traditional large-cask ageing.
Composition
- Sangiovese 100%
vintage-specific blend · abv 15%