“The back taste is very special—there is the taste of hope,” quips Lamberto Frescobaldi to sum up the special identity of the wine produced on the penitentiary island of Gorgona.
But there is genuine sentiment behind the witticism. Since 2012 Frescobaldi has invested both emotionally and financially in this project to rehabilitate prisoners through in-depth training in viticulture, not only to benefit the individuals but as part of a wider sense of social responsibility. “It has been a way to be a bit more humble about myself, life and success,” Frescobaldi adds. “We think we are drivers of ourselves, but we are so damn lucky.”
It was my curiosity about this social project, rather than any expectation of the wine, which prompted me to accept an invitation to Gorgona, the last remaining penitentiary island in Europe, for the launch of the 12th vintage of Gorgona Bianco. But as we climbed the hill through the prison into the vineyard things looked much more promising than I had envisaged.
The small 2.3ha (5.7 acres) vineyard cloaks a natural amphitheater and the southeast facing slope is sufficiently steep to warrant terracing with dry stone walls. In the lower section the terraces were constructed by five Albanian prisoners in 2015 and planted with gobelet (bush vines) of Vermentino and Ansonica. It’s too windy here for trellising. Towards the top of the hill at 150m (490ft) the original 1ha (2.4 acres) parcel was planted in 1999 from which the inmates made a rough wine
This Article was originally published on World of Fine Wine
