This is a wine with a very special story. The Frescobaldi 2021 Gorgona is a blend of white grapes Vermentino and Ansonica made on the island of Gorgona off the Tuscan Coast in front of the port city Livorno. This tiny island, with sheer cliffs on one side and a tiny harbor with wooden fishing boats on the other, is a natural reserve and a state penitentiary. Visitors are allowed on the island only with permission from Italy's penitentiary police. Serving their sentences in a state of semi-liberty within the confines of the island, the inmates of Gorgona tend to the vines that face their barracks, harvest the fruit and process the grapes at the tiny winery not too far from the mess hall. Thanks to a collaboration with Tuscany's Frescobaldi family that oversees winemaking, distribution and commercial aspects, Gorgona is a closed winemaking circle and a curious interpretation of what sustainability means. These grapes serve not only to make wine but they are also part of a bigger rehabilitation project with wider consequences for society. The precious wine is closed with a wax capsule and wrapped with a technical sheet that is designed like the front page of a newspaper (that you peel off the bottle). It provides information on the floral and fauna of the island. The wine pours forth with a luminous golden shine and bright fruit aromas of creamy lemon, peach, bitter almond, pine tree and saline sea breeze. It offers mid-weight texture and plenty of freshness. There is a very glossy quality to this vintage that transcends appearance and mouthfeel.
- Monica Larner (03/2023)
