There is a tradition in Siena, an annual event held in la Piazza Il Palio, the name of the event derived from the name of the piazza, or vice versa. Il Palio is a contest, the 17 contratae (districts of Siena) competing with a single horse and a single rider. They ride bareback around the outer ring of the piazza, a large imperfect circle that looks to be about a quarter of a mile around. The sidewalk café at which we sat is in this ring, and during the competition the tables are cleared away and dirt is poured and packed over the cobblestones. Thousands of people pack into the center of the piazza for the races and the vendors all around sell photographs of the intensely popular event. It will be something to plan for on the next visit over.

From Siena we went on to Castel Giocondo and Luce, a Frescobaldi property high in the mountains in Montalcino. The cliffside roads curl and bend through tightly packed towns overlooking the rolling agrarian hills perfectly plotted. The Rosso di Montelcino vineyard manifests at the entrance of Castel Giocondo as we drive through the gates, each pillar marked with a coat of arms. A white gravel road winds along the green countryside. The ground here bears large stones and clods of clay. We met Nadine, the Public Relations Executive, and were joined by Elisa, the Assistant Winemaker. The beauty of this place extends far beyond the bottle. The estate is, of course, another gorgeous example of rural Tuscan architecture and soon we are off towards the cellars.

Galestro and slate are in the soil as we head around the villa to the cellar entrance. There are four types of soil on the estate; limestone-derived clays, galestro, clayey marls, and sandy mixtures. A reservoir atop the cellar helps to keep the temperature down as and assists with humidity control, and I cannot help but stop and take a look at the view from here. Hills and plains stretch out below us in this ageless country. There are many microclimates here, effected by the soils and altitude. The lower vineyards have more clay, such as I saw on our drive in. Up on the hillside the soil contains more shale and marl. Disease can be prevented easier in rocky soil which helps the drainage process. Accordingly, the Sangiovese is planted higher up so that the water will drain out, keeping the grapes tight. Merlot is planted in the lower vineyards as it thrives in the water and clay of Castel Giocondo. Luce majors in Cabernet Sauvignon.

Castel Giocondo became part of the Frescobaldi family in 1989 and is 1 of 9 Frescobaldi properties. 50% of the grape bunches are left behind during harvest which means two things; extremely low yield and extremely high quality. The grapes are mostly hand-picked, destemmed, and then pressed. From there they go to temperature controlled stainless steel tanks where fermentation begins at 25-30 degrees Celsius.  The skins concentrate on the top of the tank during fermentation with 20 days of maceration. Each tank is equipped with an auto pump, and it is important to have short pump overs many times throughout the day to keep the cap moist, preventing oxidation.

The oak is French and Slovenian, between 15-20 years old. The wood is intended to give clean structure rather than aromatizing the wine. Wood and tannins react to give agability and the wine is aged in small barriques and then large casks. The casks are cleaned after each racking and replaced after about 25 years. Larger barrels hold 17,200 liters while the smaller barrels hold 8,200 liters. A concrete system is used to blend at the end of the aging time for days before bottling. Giocondo is the only estate with an inside bottling facility. The bottles are standing upright to let the corks fully open for approximately one month. The wine is then bottle aged for 4-6 months before it is shipped to the warehouse in Florence.

The new cellar holds Luce, mostly French oak barrels with a small percentage of American oak, about 2,700 all together. The new small barrels are used for a maximum of 4 years. 65% of the wood properties that impart aromas of oak are lost after the second year. And if that sounds like a short life for the barrels, consider that the going rate for new French oak barrels is 600 Euros each. The labor, types of cork, barrels, labels, aging, and overall quality all affect the price of these wines, and just as the Amarone of Masi through its long appasimento process and double fermentation, some of these wines can be higher dollar purchases. It is the difference between good and great, and wines like Lucente, Mormoreto and Costasera are worth the difference knowing everything it takes to make each bottle.

Luce is a wine that is a blend of Sangiovese and Merlot. The first true vintage was 1993, but it was not until 1995 that the joint venture with Robert Mondavi began, and 1997 when the first official vintage was released. The idea behind the wine is to have the old world Sangiovese with the new world Merlot, expressions of each together in one bottle, a very successful experiment indeed.

The vineyards are uprooted every 30-35 years with 5 years between harvests on the replanted vineyards. Drip irrigation is used in some of the vineyards, such as Luce, which contains quite a bit of volcanic shale. Luce Brunello and Castel Giocondo all practice sustainable farming, evident by the composted herbs between the vines to keep organic substances in the soil.

After the tour of the vineyards we arrive at the castle that stands on lookout over all of the vines around it. This castle is of the noble Angelini family built in the 12th century. The site was chosen for its point of view to defend the road between Siena and the sea and was partly destroyed in the bombing of World War II before it was rebuilt. Behind the castle there is a glass house that overlooks the southern crops and we sit down around a large square table for a light lunch and wine tasting. Shaved meats and cheeses, spinach fritatta and the Italian staple of bread and olive oil help to accent the lovely wines of this unbelievably gorgeous vineyard.

 ·     Campo ai Sassi 2007

The Sassi is a Rosso di Montalcino, 100% Sangiovese with one year in small casks, one year in large casks, and six months in the bottle. Lighter shades of ruby in the glass with fruit on the nose. The acidity is typical of Sangiovese, able to cut through pastas with red sauce and the fattier meats, and the wine as a whole is very approachable and drinks nicely. Only 500 cases of Sassi are produced each year.

·     Castelgiocondo Brunello di Montalcino 2003

2003 was a hot season, resulting in much more concentrated fruit with a deeper color.

·     Castelgiocondo Brunello di Montalcino 2004

2004 was a nearly perfect season. Smokier on the nose than the 2003 with a nice tannic structure inlaid with deep cherry. This was #15 of the top 100 Wine Spectator wines.

·     Castelgiocondo Brunello di Montalcino 2005

The 2005 offers up more apparent smoke and fruit on the nose. Only 38 cases of the Castel Giocondo Brunello di Montalcino are produced each year. The Brunello can be aged for up to 10 years.

·     Lucente Lavite 2007

50% Merlot, 35% Sangiovese, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. 12 months in barrels, 5% American oak.

·     Luce 2007

The sea is only 70km away and the breeze from the sea affects the grapes differently by cooling at night. Luce is ready to drink and the structure and mouthfeel are wonderful, set off by the wine’s beautiful extractions. Luce has a very long life, assuming you don’t drink it all right away. 55% Merlot, 45% Sangiovese with 18 months in French oak (90% new oak, 10% second passage).

Our final dinner in Italy had to be the country’s most famous and copied dish of all – Pizza. A café in the square around the way from our hotel in Florence, outside tables tightly grouped in the shadow of the cathedral’s tower, tiny figures high above walking the pareipet. We walk around the busy streets of Florence cloaked in night, sampling gelato, our conversations drifting from music and travel to good times and bad, heartbreak, budding love and good wine.  I feel that just as my internal clock has adjusted to the 7 hour time difference we will be making our way back across the Atlantic. Our flight leaves early in the morning, well before any coffee or espresso is served in the breakfast salon, so I take a final look out of my room at the beautiful Florentine cityscape. This has been a trip of spectacular sights, wonderful wine, and education.