Ca' dei Frati, `I Frati` Lugana

The Dal Cero family moved to Ca’ dei Frati in 1939 and soon recognised the potential of the area for fine grape growing. The farm’s well-drained soil was deposited on the southern shore of Lake Garda by the same glacier that carved out Italy’s largest lake. This alluvial soil moderates the vines’ vigour, while the proximity to the lake mitigates hot summer temperatures, making it an ideal area for making one of Italy’s most attractive white wines.

Slowly, the family expanded their vineyard holdings while playing a key role in the creation of the Lugana DOC in the late 1960s. They are currently the largest vineyard owners in the denomination. This increase in quantity is matched by a rise in quality, and today Ca’ dei Frati is among the best producers in Lugana.

The quality of Ca’ dei Frati’s wines derives from the meticulous work carried out by the Dal Cero brothers: Franco in the vineyard and Igino in the winery. All the estate’s Lugana fruit is handpicked and directly pressed, without skin contact, to retain delicate perfumes and enhance the supple texture of the whites. Igino also inhibits malolactic fermentation for his white wines to give them a vibrant lift and favours a period of lees ageing post-fermentation to lend greater richness on the palate. This also contributes to a flintiness on the nose, which makes his wines almost Burgundian in character.

The ‘I Frati’ Lugana is lively and scented, consistently offering superb value from vintage to vintage. It is made solely from the Turbiana grape variety, a regional clone of Verdicchio also known as Trebbiano di Soave. The resulting wine has a depth and zippy acidity that few wines from this area demonstrate. The ‘Brolettino’ is Ca’ dei Frati’s single vineyard Lugana. Barrel-fermented and aged for 10 months, the oak is beautifully integrated with the fruit to give a wonderful texture and complexity to the wine. ‘Pratto’, a blend of Turbiana, Chardonnay (both of which are barrel fermented) and Sauvignon Blanc (fermented in tank), displays an exotic passion fruit character while maintaining the characteristic freshness of the Ca’ dei Frati wines.

While best known for their white wines, Ca’ dei Frati’s ‘Ronchedone’ blends Sangiovese, Marzemino, and Cabernet Sauvignon to give a ripe yet elegant red that speaks of the zone as much as the whites. Their ‘Rosa dei Frati’ is made from a blend of Groppello, Marzemino, Sangiovese and Barbera that results in a delicate pink wine perfectly suited to summer drinking on the shores of Lake Garda.

There is a long tradition of making sparkling wines in this part of Italy, so it is no surprise that their Cuvée dei Frati Brut can rival the best wines from nearby Franciacorta. A 'Metodo Classico' wine, it is aged on its lees in bottle for a minimum of 36 months before disgorgement. It blends Turbiana with a small portion of Chardonnay (10%), which adds a rounder, fuller character to the wine.

The family returned to their roots in the province of Verona just over a decade ago to make their ‘Pietro Dal Cero` Amarone della Valpolicella. From grapes grown in the Val Squaranta east of Verona, the wine is named after their father, Pietro, who was born in Montecchia and came to Lugana as a child. The wine, a deep ruby red with intense aromas of cherries, chocolate, and sweet spices on the nose, is a precise as you’d expect from the Dal Cero family.