FRATTINA

The noble Frattina family first appeared in this region before the year 1000. Since that time the lords of Frattina bound their destinies to these lands for almost a millennium. In the 1600’s the Counts of Frattina founded a wine-making cellar which remained under their control for almost four hundred years. It’s no coincidence that both the property rights to the cellar and the control of its operation were assumed by two families that are an integral part of the industrial history of Italy: the Zanussis, and then, the Avernas. A relatively simple explanation can be made for the two thousand year old cultivation of the grapevine in the area: the succession of owners with such great names and prestige, and the land surrounding the Villa which occupies an exquisitely clayey terrain that bestows body, color, tannin, and the high sugar concentration that leads to a generous alcohol content at the heart of a good wine. Even more important, the clayey layer hides and conserves a precious feature that lies below; a mantle of calcium which is rich in trace elements that are essential for creating wine with a truly refined character. This priceless layer is also able to hold moisture for a long time and release it during periods of limited rainfall. The grape harvest is carefully performed by hand so that only whole grapes reach the cellar. The bunches of grapes are subjected to a soft type of pressing, and steeping is individually calibrated to suit the variety of grapes being processed. The musts are refrigerated and centrifuged as soon as they are formed, and are then allowed to ferment for the time required. After filtration, the wines are bottled in the Spring: however, certain red wines are allowed to age in Slavonian oak barrels or in kegs.

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