This is the second* vintage of the first wine of this relatively new joint venture between The Domaines des Barons des Lafite-Rothschild of the eponymous Pauillac 1st Growth and Castellare, an ancient estate in Chianti Classico. The winemaking team is impressive, Christian Le Sommer of Château Lafite-Rothschild and Allesandro Cellai of Castellare, as is the stunning vineyard that they put together by cobbling together 5 estates in the center of Maremma, in the formerly humber DOC of Monteregio di Massa Marittima. Though the vines are just 6 years old, this wine was made by taking a brutal selection of only the ripest bunches.  Rocca di Frassinello website.

The area in interesting because it is geologically nearly identical to Chianti Classico and Scansano, two of Tuscany’s great winemaking regions, yet the temperatures are four to six degress warmer, allowing for riper grapes, for making fuller bodies wines, and even for planting warmer climate varieties and being able to expect full ripeness from them. There is also a maritime breeze, which cools the vines in the hottest months, that is funneled across the vineyards by the valley that results from an ancient Roman road.

The winemaking and technology that were available to such a pedigreed team are without compare, and the results show in this exceptionally clean, exceptionally rich wine. A blend of 60% Sangioveto (a local clone of Sangiovese with smaller berries), 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 20% Merlot, was vinified in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks, then transferred to French Oak barriques, 80% of which were new. The wine was bottled 14 months after harvest. This is an especially interesting wine from the point of view of collectors, it is definitely a more polished offering than the 2004, and as the second wine from what is destined to be a great estate, it offers the chance to get in on the ground floor of what is going to be a stellar run.

This is a big, tannic wine, with a haunting aroma that eoncompasses fruit, spice, earth, oak and a whole world of indescrible delights, but it still dances delicately across the palate, and delivers an unbelievably enjoyable glass of wine. Try it with a fire-grilled steak (seasoned with just balsamic, garlic, salt and pepper), or other suitably meaty fare. Drink now – 2020.

*This post has been updated.  I discovered that though I was assured we could get the 2004, we were in fact not able to, and had to switch to the 2005.  I have mixed feelings about this.  On the one hand, 2005 is a much better wine (it’s breath-taking in fact), but it’s also not the first, and I was excited about that possibility.  I think you won in the end, and I think that quality should trump all, but the romantic side of me is a little hurt!