I Frati (2020)

About this wine

This I Frati Lugana 2020 is made from 100 percent Turbiana and was fermented and aged in stainless steel to preserve freshness. On the nose it shows white flowers, lemon zest, green apple and a hint of apricot. The palate is lively and precise with brisk acidity, a clear saline streak and medium body that carries flavors of citrus peel and ripe orchard fruit. Texture is clean and slightly broad from short time on fine lees, while the finish shows a touch of almond and subtle mineral iodine. According to the producer the wine spends at least six months on the fine lees in steel and undergoes bottle aging before release, and the vineyards sit on calcareous clay soils in the Lugana area near Lake Garda.

About the grape

Turbiana, locally called Trebbiano di Lugana and historically linked to the Verdicchio family, is the single grape in this bottling and has been cultivated for centuries around the southern shores of Lake Garda. The Lugana DOC was established in 1967 which formalized the use of this local clone and encouraged plantings on the glacial morainic soils that give the variety good minerality, and Ca dei Frati sources fruit from these low lying vineyards. In the Dal Cero estate vineyards Turbiana is grown at relatively high densities with low trellising and careful yield control to preserve acid structure, and the winery vinifies I Frati in stainless steel with months on fine lees rather than new oak to highlight the grape. Over time Turbiana has been prized here for its lively acidity and adaptability, making it the backbone of Lugana and the exclusive variety for I Frati.

Quick facts

• ⛪ The name I Frati means house of the friars because the estate was recorded in 1782 as land owned by monks, giving the wine a direct link to local history.
• 🌍 I Frati is the single bottle that made Ca’ dei Frati internationally known, it became the winery’s signature and ambassador for Lugana around the world.
• 🍇 It is made from 100 percent Turbiana, the local grape sometimes called Trebbiano di Lugana, a variety that shows striking mineral and aged complexity.
• 🫧 Although vinified in stainless steel, the wine spends months on its fine lees which gives I Frati a creamy texture and surprising aging potential.
• 🏛️ The Dal Cero family helped shape the modern Lugana DOC, Pietro Dal Cero bottled early I Frati vintages and helped promote the appellation starting in 1969.

Palate profile