Drink.  Learn.  Laugh.  Repeat.

Welcome Back!Sign in here:

Not Registered?Become one of our thirsty clan 327,329 strong:

Register Today!

Marchesi de Frescobaldi Tenuta Di Castiglioni 2012 Wine Review

Marchesi de Frescobaldi Tenuta Di Castiglioni 2012

Marchesi de Frescobaldi Tenuta Di Castiglioni 2012

Tuscany I.G.T., Italy

Community Score:88/100

Community Reviews: 17

  Add My Review


Price: $21.95

Drink: 2016-2021

Bottle size: 750 ml

Alcohol: 14%

Sweetness: Extra Dry

Wine Type: Red Wine


Winery: Frescobaldi

Agent: Philippe Dandurand Wines Ltd.

Natalie's Score: 90/100

This robust Italian red wine blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Sangiovese grapes is a towering blockbuster. It could use some more cellar time given its concentration and power. Layers of smoky black fruit and dark spice. Decant 2 hours and pair with a juicy rare steak.

Best Beef Wine

This Marchesi de Frescobaldi Tenuta Di Castiglioni 2012 was reviewed on April 20, 2016 by Natalie MacLean

Pricing & Stock Information

Reviews and Ratings

Donna Hargrove rated this wine as 91/100 with the following review:

This deep red full bodied Italian red is full of delicious fruity notes and spicy flavour. With a mix of plum and tobacco on the note, you are then greeting with a warm combination of spice and vanilla on the tongue. I would definitely enjoy this wine with a grilled steak.

Reviewed April 3, 2016
Mary Anne van Gaal rated this wine as 90/100 with the following review:

This deep claret wine is complex. Aromas of plum, smoke and licorice greet the nose while plum, herbs, cherry and chocolate linger in the mouth. It is bold enough to pair well with meaty tomato sauces and juicy steaks.
Jennifer Havers - WSET Level 3 rated this wine as 90/100 with the following review:

Full and powerful, this is definitely a steak wine. Lots of cedar and smoke on the nose. Ripe blackberries and more pronounced tannin. Longer finish. Could use some time in the decanter.
Wineboy rated this wine as 90/100 with the following review:

Clearly and old world styled wine. Offering measured cassis fruit, ample tannins to support aging, and beautiful aromatics sometimes sacrificed in warmer climates. Complex in a herb, cassis melange. Age me 2-4 years.
Ashley Quesnel rated this wine as 90/100 with the following review:

An expressive and complex wine with aromas of blackberry, plum, dried fruit and vanilla. Medium bodied with dark fruit flavours, dried herbs and cedar. This wine is youthful with dry tannins but has excellent potential; the finish is long with flavours of dried fruit and mineral. Great buy. Decant for a few hours or pair with roasted rack of lamb.
Monique Sosa - Accredited Sommelier rated this wine as 90/100 with the following review:

Clean complex aromas include: blackberry, black plum, vanilla, baking spice, hints of dried dates, leather and toast. The palate shows immense fruit balance, high acidity, moderate to high tannins and a rich mouthfeel. Key flavours include: black fruit, dates, figs, baking spice, chocolate and cedar. Pair with prime rib roast. Tasted Nov 2015.
Jon Steeves - Sommelier rated this wine as 90/100 with the following review:

The 2012 vintage is garnet with ruby hue, 13% ABV. This is a complex Tuscan IGT with a lot going on. Densely concentrated aromatics of tart cherry, red berry, dried sage, anise and a hint of tomato leaf. This wine features medium tannins, medium acidity, medium fruit and is well balanced. Lingering persistence of cherry and sage, long finish. This wine offers great value and diversity in pairing options. Recommend pairing with a tangy tomato sauce and veal parmesan. Enjoy 2015-2020.
Sean O'Regan - Certified Sommelier rated this wine as 89/100 with the following review:

Deep ruby, sweet plummy fruit, tobacco and spice notes on the nose. Medium bodied, with plummy fruit, chocolate and savoury herbs. Nicely balanced with a long finish. The fine talc like tannins sneak up on the finish. I've been buying/enjoying this wine since the 2007 vintage, and while there is vintage variation, it has always been a solid performer at the price point.
Tasted November 2015
Cherie Cole rated this wine as 89/100 with the following review:

Lovely aromas of dark plum, vanilla, violet and oak. This robust red with its firm tannins would be a wonderful accompaniment to a medium rare steak or rare game. Tasted November 29, 2015.
Craig Kuziemsky rated this wine as 88/100 with the following review:

Vanilla, smoke and black fruit on the nose with the palate offering up ripe black berries and plums and some dried herbs on the finish. Pair with a good steak.
Sylvain Segard rated this wine as 88/100 with the following review:

Dark plums, olive oil, white pepper, vanilla, and smoke. The extra dry and grippy tannic entry is smoothed out with a long and vivid acidity of sour cherries.
Jacky Blisson rated this wine as 88/100 with the following review:

Dark, translucent ruby. Attractive earthy aromas of red cherry, tobacco and dried floral notes. Medium bodied, yet very dense and structured on the palate, with big, chewy tannins. Plum, cherry and dried floral notes linger on the finish. The oak tannin is a touch drying on the finish. Serve with food.
Peter Neilson rated this wine as 85/100 with the following review:

Fruity ... but- a very bitter aftertaste. Caveat - I have a cold, and my taste is altered, but the bitterness is very noticeable. Still lots of tannin (drinking this in 2018), and colour still “young”. Nice initial impression, and then the bitter kicks in - almost like they crushed the stems with the grapes. I’d give it an 88 based on the first 4-5 sec., and then an 80 for the following 15 sec. I’ll be generous and blame it on my cold. Glad I’m not sharing it. Updated two hours later. Aeration for 2 hrs has eliminated the bitterness. Overall, final score - 87. Nice for $22!
Emilie Ryan rated this wine as 82/100 with the following review:

A terroir-based wine that needs time and food to shine...

Appearance: medium ruby red
Nose: sour cherries, earth, leather.
Taste: leather, sour cherries, tannic, tight. Needs more time to open up.
Finish: earth, leather, tannic.
Overall impression: definitely an old world wine, that should probably be decanted for at least an hour and perhaps cellared a little longer, as well as being enjoyed with food like pasta with red sauce or grilled meats.

Value: 2 out of 5

1 Member would buy this wine again

 

If you liked the Marchesi de Frescobaldi Tenuta Di Castiglioni 2012, you might also like these wines:

Recipes for Marchesi de Frescobaldi Tenuta Di Castiglioni 2012

WANT TO LEARN HOW TO

PAIR WINE
& FOOD?

Join me in a free online video class to learn the secrets to perfect pairings.

Wine of the Week

As featured on  

Natalie MacLean

Natalie MacLean offers North America's most popular online wine and food pairing classes. She was named the World's Best Drinks Writer at the World Food Media Awards in Australia.

Natalie has published two books with Random House, both selected as one of Amazon's Best Books of the Year.

Join 327,329 thirsty wine lovers who get access to all of her wine reviews by becoming a member of her site. Take a free online pairing class with her here.

FEEL LOST IN THE

LCBO?

Know the wines you want before you even get to the store with my wine reviews. Join now. It's free.

Red, White & Drunk All Over

  Best Books of the Year

Red, White & Drunk all over by Natalie MacLean

Natalie MacLean writes about wine with a sensuous obsession... and often laugh-out-loud funny... Terrific.

Rex Pickett, Sideways

Ms. MacLean is the disarming Everywoman. She loves wine, loves drinking ... ultimately, it's a winning formula.

Eric Asimov, The New York Times

GOT A SMARTPHONE?

Access my reviews on mobile with the bar code scanner.

GET NAT'S APP

Unquenchable: A Tipsy Search

  Best Books of the Year

Unquenchable by Natalie MacLean

Natalie MacLean is a new force in the wine writing world ‐ a feisty North American answer to Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson. She can write beautifully about wine.

The Financial Times of London

There are very few people in the wine world who "get it" and Natalie is one of those who brings more fun to a buttoned-up and stodgy game.

Gary Vaynerchuck, Wine Library TV

Starting a Wine Cellar?

Expert advice for all budgets

Insider tips on starting a wine cellar
From wine racks to underground caves, insider tips on size and space, number of bottles, ideal conditions and reputable resources.   learn more  

337,676

WINE
REVIEWS

327,329

ACTIVE
MEMBERS
Winner World's Best Drink Writer
WFour-Time Winner James Beard Foundation
Five-Time Winner Association of Food Journalists
Six-Time Winner Bert Greene Award
Best Wine Literature Book Gourmand World Cookbook Awards
Online Writer of the Year Louis Roederer International Wine Writing Award