Frasca - Freisa d'Asti, Piedmont, Italy (2020)

TASTING NOTES

Ripe cherry, blackberry, earth and beetroot, floral violets and dried roses. The palate is tight and juicy at the same time with grippy tannin and brisk acidity underpinning dark fruit and spices.

The vines for this are located in the commune of Moasca, averaging 20 years old. 30% are left as whole bunches. Gentle pressing and no punchdowns. The wine is aged 4 months in large oak barrels.

Curt Frasca is an Italian American entrepreneur who fell in love with Barbera and Nizza many years ago. This great passion inspired him to return to his roots where he desired to produce elegant, terroir-expressive wines in Nizza Monferrato. It was a meeting with winemaker and (now) partner Matteo Gerbi that proved to be the catalyst that turned his vision into a reality. Matteo, born in Asti, has a vast experience in prestigious Langhe area wineries.

The winery was founded in 2018 and has 22ha divided among the municipalities of Nizza Monferrato, Agliano Terme and Moasca. Each vineyard has been selected with care and attention to enhance the different characteristics of the region. The vineyards are between 180-250m in altitude; the soils are primarily clay with a multitude of minerals that provide complexity, longevity, minerality and structure to the wines. And while the winery is young, the vines are not, with the youngest being 20+ years old and the oldest being over 90 years in age.

Matteo leads a young team from the vineyards to the cellar. The philosophy is to work in an artisanal way; only estate grown fruit, environment-friendly vineyard management, and manual harvesting in small boxes while striving to make balanced and elegant wines. By the end of 2025 a new cellar will be built in La Guaranga estate with special attention to sustainable materials and power sources such as geo-thermal and solar panels.

Currently, total production is approx. 80,000 bottles with capacity to double. The focus is on local indigenous varieties such as Barbera, Grignolino, Freisa and Arneis. Even the labels have meaning with images that reflect the local fauna, flora and traditional Piedmontese architecture. This is an exciting new winery that is already garnering the attention of Gambero Rosso for its Barbera and Nizza.