MARCHESI FRESCOBALDI PRESENTS GORGONA 2025

The wine that restores a sense of time to inmates

The 14th harvest of Gorgona pays tribute to the myth of the Tuscan Archipelago and the transformative power of nature

GORGONA, Italy, June 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Lamberto Frescobaldi, President of Marchesi Frescobaldi, today uncorked the first bottle of Gorgona 2025 on the island, debuting the latest vintage of a wine born in one of the most extraordinary places on earth: Gorgona Island, Europe's last remaining active penal colony.

Since 2012, this unique project has flourished through a partnership between Marchesi Frescobaldi and the Gorgona Penitentiary Institute, offering a path for rehabilitation and social reintegration through viticulture. Inmates nearing the end of their sentences work hand-in-hand with nature, acquiring professional skills in both the vineyard and the cellar under the guidance of Marchesi Frescobaldi's agronomists and winemakers.

"When you enter prison, the concept of time changes completely: days bleed into one another, you lose the rhythm of the seasons, even the very sense of anticipation and the future. In the vineyard, the exact opposite happens. The vine changes every single day of the year; it demands constant attention, care, and presence. It is a craft that restores to inmates an authentic, more human sense of time. For this reason, the Gorgona project—now on its fourteenth harvest—continues to fill us with profound pride each year. We offer these individuals not just employment and a wage, but a tangible opportunity to find balance, dignity, and a new perspective for their future," stated Lamberto Frescobaldi.

On the island of Gorgona, time thus aligns with the rhythm of the seasons and the vegetative cycle of the vine. Throughout the year, inmates are actively involved in the winemaking process, experiencing a professional and human journey centered on the value of time, responsibility, and a deep connection to the land.

Described in 2014 by Andrea Bocelli as "Aphrodite's wildest, most luminescent pearl," Gorgona is a natural amphitheater suspended over the sea. The vineyard, which now spans 2.3 hectares, thrives on iron-rich soils, sheltered from harsh winds and constantly caressed by the marine breeze. In this unique terroir, the Vermentino and Ansonica varieties find one of their most intense and distinctive expressions, producing a wine that encapsulates the energy, salinity, and very soul of the island.

The true value of this cru lies in its unrepeatable nature: the extreme combination of soil, climate, and the people who tend to it creates unparalleled conditions, capable of transforming adversity into remarkable character and expressive depth.

As with every vintage, the label for Gorgona 2025 was designed by Simonetta Doni of Studio Doni & Associati, a studio specializing in wine label design, and it tells a new story. For this latest vintage, inspiration is drawn from the myths and legends of the Tyrrhenian Sea. According to an ancient legend, Venus, the goddess of love and beauty, emerged from the waters wearing a pearl necklace. As she crossed the Tyrrhenian, the strand broke, and seven pearls fell into the sea, transforming into the islands of the Tuscan Archipelago. This legend poetically captures the identity of these lands: each island guards a different character, as if every pearl had retained a distinct fragment of the goddess' beauty as it fell.

Gorgona 2025 displays a brilliant straw-yellow hue with subtle golden highlights. The bouquet is the truest maritime expression of Vermentino and Ansonica, where the warmth of the sun and cool sea breezes masterfully intertwine. Initial aromas evoke the Mediterranean macchia, with hints of thyme, sage, and helichrysum, blending with floral notes of chamomile, acacia, and jasmine. This is followed by fruity aromas of citrus, yellow and white stone fruits, and delicate tropical undertones that evolve over time. On the palate, the wine is fresh and sapid, leading to a long, persistent finish.

THE 2025 VINTAGE

Following a dry autumn with average temperatures, winter was slightly colder than in previous years, characterized by frequent, well-distributed rainfall and intense thunderstorms in March. Budburst for the Vermentino occurred in early April, followed by the Ansonica mid-month. A mild spring and a sudden wave of heat in June—mitigated by the maritime influence—favored regular vine development and excellent health. A cooler, breezier summer with sporadic, isolated showers guided the clusters to proper ripening. The harvest took place in September under ideal conditions, with cool, sunny days allowing the grapes to achieve full phenolic maturity.

Press Assets
Vintage Sheet HERE
Bottle Shot HERE

GORGONA – COSTA TOSCANA IGT
A unique wine with a limited production of 9,000 bottles per harvest, Gorgona stands as a symbol of the intersection between winemaking excellence, respect for nature, and social responsibility. It is a wine that speaks of the island, the people who work there, and the concrete proof that beauty and labor can transform lives.

THE VISION
"Frescobaldi per il sociale" (Frescobaldi for Social Responsibility) was established in August 2012. Before becoming a wine, it is a multi-year project created in collaboration with the penal colony's administration. Its goal is to provide inmates with concrete, hands-on experience in the field of viticulture.

THE PROJECT
The Gorgona project was launched in August 2012 through a partnership between Marchesi Frescobaldi and Gorgona, Europe's only island-penitentiary. Here, inmates spend the final portion of their sentences working in close contact with nature to develop professional skills that facilitate their reintegration into the workforce and society. The project comes to life around a small vineyard nestled in the heart of an amphitheater overlooking the sea. Its objective is to allow inmates to gain practical, active experience in viticulture, with the collaboration and under the supervision of Marchesi Frescobaldi's agronomists and winemakers. Inmates successfully restored one hectare of vineyard on the island to production, to which an additional 1.3 hectares, planted by Marchesi Frescobaldi, was added over the years. Gorgona Rosso was introduced with the 2015 harvest, sourced from a few rows of organically farmed Sangiovese and Vermentino Nero, and aged in terracotta orci (amphorae).

PROJECT TIMELINE
In May 2013, the inaugural harvest of Gorgona (2012) was presented at the DAP in Rome, and in September of the same year, the President of the Italian Republic, Giorgio Napolitano, also received magnum number "0" as a gift from Lamberto Frescobaldi himself. In June 2014, Marchesi Frescobaldi signed a 15-year collaboration agreement with the prison administration and hired two inmates to work in the vineyard on Gorgona, who are paid directly by the company. In February 2015, the inmates, coordinated by Marchesi Frescobaldi's winemakers, planted another hectare of Vermentino on the island, with the aim of involving more people in the vineyard work and achieving a higher quality wine.

THE PARTNERS
Andrea Bocelli wrote the text and signed the label for the 2013 harvest:

"The Tuscan Archipelago is an earthly paradise, of which Gorgona is Aphrodite's wildest, most luminescent pearl. Behind its apparent ruggedness lies the unspeakable seduction of aromas and silences, and a nature that moves you with its strength, its eternal youth... And all around, water and salt, reflecting heaven's messages, tightening the ropes of the sails." (A. Bocelli - 2014)

Simonetta Doni of Studio Doni & Associati, one of the few international graphic design studios specializing in wine labels, contributes annually by donating the wine's visual identity. Alongside a highly specialized team with a distinct cultural and artistic sensitivity, she interprets the unique characteristics that define the project and its island.

Giorgio Pinchiorri, owner of Enoteca Pinchiorri—one of the world's most renowned Italian restaurants—participates in the project by choosing to contribute through his exclusive cuisine, helping to promote the food and wine heritage of Gorgona Island.

Argotractors, a company of the Argo Group established in 2007 with the aim of creating a world-class tractor hub, donated a specialized vineyard tractor for the activities carried out on the island.

MARCHESI FRESCOBALDI
The Frescobaldi family has been producing wine in Tuscany for over 700 years. Marchesi Frescobaldi is one of Italy's leading wine estates, specializing in the ultra-premium segment. Melding tradition and innovation, the company is dedicated to respecting the terroir and maximizing the potential of its estate vineyards. It is globally renowned for its wines sourced from nine distinct estates: Tenuta Castiglioni, Tenuta CastelGiocondo, Tenuta Perano, Castello Nipozzano, Castello Pomino, Tenuta Calimaia, Tenuta Ammiraglia, Rémole, and Gorgona.

Media Contact
Flaminia Gubernari – Colangelo & Partners
Account Executive - [email protected]

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SOURCE Marchesi Frescobaldi