There's something satisfying in the way the name Frescobaldi rolls off the tongue, as if just pronouncing the word makes one sound Italian. If I add the full title, Marchesi de' Frescobaldi, I'm almost as convincing as Kevin Kline in A Fish Called Wanda. Fernandino Frescobaldi, president of the winery enterprise, claims the family has been producing wine since 1308, which is probably correct. Certainly, wine would have been on the tables of the prominent Frescobaldi family, the largest private owners of vineyards in Tuscany - indeed the largest landholders, full stop.
The Frescobaldi winemaking activities can be organised into three groupings. Southwest of Florence, the estate's wines are light and refreshing. Its classic wines are produced east of Florence, at Chianti Ruffina (Nipozzano estate) and, high above sea level, the Pomino estates. The family's third key parcel is in Montalcino, where it produces Brunello di Montalcino. In 2004, they took a controlling position in Ornellaia (Bolgheri area), one of the original 'super-Tuscan' wines.
Pomino Benefizio Riserva Pomino Biano DOC chardonnay 2007 (pictured)
Well before his time, 19th-century winemaker Vittoria Albizi argued the Pomino hills were too high to ripen Tuscany's hallmark red variety, sangiovese. He claimed cool-climate varieties such as chardonnay were better suited for this high-altitude setting. His radical ideas were not well received but in later generations he was proven correct with the critical and popular success of Pomino's barrel-fermented chardonnay. It's a stalwart offering at Nicholini's in Central's Conrad hotel. I've tasted it over the past 15 years and it never fails to please. Its power is all on the palate: round, full, creamy and robustly flavoured. Year after year, the wine retains its elegance. The oak, nutmeg and caramel popcorn accents would normally bog one down but somehow the Italian penchant for acidity keeps the wine light-footed.
Available for HK$288 at Jebsen Fine Wines (tel: 2923 8777)
Attems Collio DOC pinot grigio 2009