Fourteen years ago, one of the most unique projects in Italian winemaking took shape on the island of Gorgona: the collaboration between Frescobaldi and the island’s prison. Today, Gorgona Bianco is much more than a prestigious label: it is the symbol of a journey of education and reintegration that demonstrates how wine can reflect the character of the region, while also offering a real opportunity for the future.
The Family’s Philosophy Frescobaldi is best summed up by its motto. It’s both a description and a statement of purpose. “Cultivating Tuscany’s Diversity”. With these words, the family forges a bond with the Tuscan region and promotes it through nine estates, , each with its own identity.
Wine as an Opportunity for Redemption
The project on the Island of Gorgona, where a social project featuring inmates from the island’s prison. Gorgona is one of those projects—controversial in many respects—that one approaches with many questions and few obvious answers.
The first, which has been directed at Marquis Lamberto for 14 years, examines whether or not it is right to employ criminals. I asked her that question too, and her answer convinced me. Teaching a trade and offering a real opportunity to those who will one day be free—after all, it’s something that changes everyone’s life, not just theirs. Because everyone’s life can change in an instant, for better or for worse—no one is exempt.
Tuscany as Told Through Nine Estates
It was right on the island that the new vintage of Gorgona Bianco, the wine that marked the beginning of the project and which today, with about 9,000 bottles, continues to introduce it to the world. Before tasting this 2025 vintage, let’s look back at some of the best wines we tasted during the walk-around tasting dedicated to Tenute Frescobaldi.
The event kicked off with a speech by thehead winemaker Nicolò D’Afflitto, working alongside the Frescobaldi family since 1991 to best showcase this diversity. The baton was then passed to the winemakers of the individual estates, who were invited to personally share the stories behind their wines. Needless to say, I was absolutely delighted to finally see the winemaker take center stage.
Sensitivity, technique, and interpretive skill
D’Afflitto defines terroir as the interplay of three elements: climate, soil, and people. In addition to hours of sunlight, rainfall, exposure, soil composition and depth, clones, and rootstocks, there are also sensitivity, technique, and interpretive ability of male and female winemakers. Also essential is the agronomic approach, with soil management practices tailored to the characteristics of each individual estate.
After all, the quality of the wines is inseparable from the beauty of the surroundings, a source of inspiration not only from a natural perspective but also from a cultural and historical one. Identity and Authenticity, without any artificial embellishments, are the values that have been pursued since the mid-1990s, when the “Parker phenomenon” seemed to dictate a single direction. Thus, Sangiovese—to give one example—still manages today to express itself in profoundly different ways, ranging from Chianti Classico to Brunello di Montalcino, all the way to the surprising Gorgona Rosso.
The Surprises of the Tasting
What surprised me, though—call me a heretic if you will—was the work Frescobaldi is doing with Chardonnay, both still and method classique, and with the rosés from Tenuta Ammiraglia. All of these wines are as elegant and delicate as they are deep and robust.
The Pomino Estate truly seems to be the locus amoenus of Chardonnay in central Italy: here, thanks to the altitude, the climate dominates the region, creating ideal conditions for the Benefizio Pomino Riserva and for new, ambitious projects that would have seemed unthinkable just a few years ago.
Gorgona, Where Myth and Reality Meet
Speaking of enchanted places, Gorgona is no exception—it feels like being on vacation, but the windows have bars, and the locked gates aren’t there to keep people out, but to keep them in.
Of course, serving a sentence there is different from serving one in other places.
Of course, working in the vineyard helps make the passing of time feel less bitter, but above all, it restores dignity to those who do it. Because there are no first-class lives and second-class lives. Those who live on the island have learned this the hard way.
Today, the Gorgona Estate comprises 2.3 hectares of vineyards cultivated using espalier and sapling training methods on terraces overlooking the sea. Vermentino and Ansonica for the white, Sangiovese and Vermentino Rosso for the red, with a production of about 1,000 bottles per year.
The label that tells the story of ancient Greek myths
The label also changes with each harvest. Signed by the Doni & Associates Law Firm, tells a different story each time. The story behind the Gorgona Bianco 2025 is inspired by the myth of Venus and the pearls from the necklace given to her by Paris, which, upon falling into the sea, are said to have given rise to the islands of the Tuscan Archipelago. Gorgona, the northernmost island, is also said to have been the first land sighted by Jason and the Argonauts on their return journey with the Golden Fleece.
Thus, in *Gorgona Bianco 2025*, myth and legend intertwine with the reality of a prison, striking a surprising balance that—amidst blooming broom and the scent of myrtle—keeps making you think, once again, that yes… it really does feel like you’re on vacation.
Pomino Bianco Riserva Benefizio 2024, Tenuta di Pomino
Score: 94/100
Estimated price: €30.00
100% Chardonnay. Barrique French, 50% new. Bright straw yellow. Very fresh on the nose, with citrus and slightly buttery notes. On the palate, banana and vanilla provide a lively contrast to the distinctive spicy notes. Balsamic and long on the finish.
Toscana Rosato Aurea Gran Rosé 2024 Tenuta Ammiraglia
Score: 93/100
Estimated price: €30.00
80% Vermentino, 20% Syrah. White fermentation and aging in Oak barrels, 20% new; the Vermentino aged for 10 months and the Syrah for 20. A light, brilliant powder-pink color. An explosive and elegant nose with tropical notes of papaya and passion fruit. A savory palate with hints of mint and Mediterranean flavors. Long and persistent.
Costa Toscana Bianco Gorgona 2025
Score: 92/100
Estimated price: €90.00
Vermentino and Ansonica. Aged in small oak barrels for 7 months. A clean, intense straw-yellow color. On the nose, notes of broom and Mediterranean hints with a very subtle hint of hydrocarbons. On the palate, sweet citrus zest, rosemary, and lavender, with a savory and persistent finish. Slightly bitter notes on the finish lengthen the mouthfeel.
