Wine Rocca di Frassinello, “Le Sughere di Frassinello”, Maremma Toscana IGT, 2019

Fine Italian-French red wine “Le Sughere di Frassinello”, has a strong character, was first released in 2004. It is produced by a blend of three international grape varieties grown in the municipality of Gavorrano, located in the province of Grosseto in Tuscany. Vineyards grow at an altitude of 90 meters above sea level on the rich soil of average density. Crop harvested in early September. Alcoholic fermentation takes place over 15 days in steel tanks at a controlled temperature of 27 C. At the end of the full malolactic fermentation, the wine is 12 months placed in barrels of French oak (50% new). After bottling “Le Sughere di Frassinello” another 9 months kept in bottles. In the year produces about 80,000 bottles of wine.

Winery Rocca di Frassinello is a unique phenomenon in the world of wine. It was designed as a very special company capable of connecting nesoedinyaemoe. The head of one of the largest wineries in Maremma developed an ambitious project that would help expand the idea of the ordinary consumer of art of winemaking. Its main aim was to keep the core tradition of winemaking, bring it new technologies, architectural and design functionality, entertainment and even shocking. Indeed, located on top of a low hill building brick red color, topped by a tower of rectangular shape, attracts the attention of everyone who passes along the road between Rome and Pisa. It is as if specially emphasizes the contrast between the progress and nature. The author of the project was an Italian architect Renzo Piano, who is known in the world of such works as the airport in Osaka, Japan, Pompidou Centre in the French capital, in New York City Building New York Times, and in Rome – Parco della Musica.

As a work of modern architecture, the building of the winery Rocca di Frassinello different functionality and simplicity. Particular note must be a wine cellar for 2,500 barrels, built in the shape of an ancient Roman arena. The man standing in the center, it seems that he is on the stage, surrounded by thousands of spectators. Itself “scene” is illuminated sunlight penetrating through a window in the ceiling. Another architectural feature of the winery is a huge terrace, which at harvest dumped bunch of ripe grapes, and after the initial sorting himself by gravity down to the cellar. From this terrace offers magnificent views of the hills covered with vineyards, fields and hunting grounds, so it is often arranged receptions and wine tasting.

Rocca di Frassinello – first joint Italian-French wine project in which the Italian side is represented by Castellare di Castellina, owned by Paolo Panero and French – Baron Eric de Rothschild, who owns Domains Baron de Rotschild-Lafite in Bordeaux. Vineyards farms are on the highest hill Terminuzzo 15 km from the sea and consists of a strip of special climatic conditions, with extremely long, dry summer, contributing to the rapid and uniform ripening berries. The soil is difficult, is rocky in nature, with a predominance of gravel, clay and limestone. High soil drainage allows the grapes do not accumulate excess sugar and perfectly enriches its mineral composition. Half of the area is occupied mainly Sangiovese grape variety, while the remaining 50% are grown Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Syrah, necessary for the production of red wines. Vineyards are handled manually without the use of chemicals. The use of traditional Tuscan Sangiovese grapes and classic French varieties, as well as fruitful cooperation oenologist Christian Le Sommer and Alessandro Celli, enable us to obtain great wines that reflect the best achievements of the Tuscan and French wine. The first production was released in 2004 and in just a few years the winery Rocca di Frassinello received recognition from the world’s leading experts.