Fontanafredda and their wines Barrbaresco, Pradalupo and Raimonda

Fontanafredda is a big producer in Piemonte who produces many different wines. They have 122 ha of land of which 100 hectares is vineyards. Fontanafredda produces many different wine but here I have only tried three.

Pradalupo is a white wine made from 100% Arneis grapes with an ABV of 13,5% and the vintage 2017. Arneis is the grape and for this bottling all the grapes has come from the Roero hills in Piemonte and therefore the wine is a Roero Arneis DOGC. Unfortunately the grape Arneis production areas continues to decrease but hopefully the world will see what a good wine this grape can give. The Pradalupo wine has a taste of apple, grapefruit, minerals and some citrus. Quite a sharp wine but goes excellent with spicy food.

Next up the the wine Raimonda which is a Barbera D'Alba wine with an ABV of 13,5% and the vintage 2016. This is made from 100% Barbera grapes. Part of the wine is matured in larger oak casks while the remaining wine is matured in smaller barrels (225 l) of medium tosted French and American barrels. Before bottling these two parts are the blended. In the taste I get black currant, plums and then some oak and soft tannins with some bitter almonds at the end. Quite an interesting Barbera and a very good food wine.

The last wine is Barbaresco of vintage 2013 with an ABV of 13,5%. Despite being a famous wine I have drunk very little Barbaresco. As with the more famous Barolo a Barbaresco is made from 100% Nebbiolo grapes. This wine is aged for 12 months in oak barrels and then 12 months in the bottle before being sold. One thing I noticed with this wine was that this Barbaresco gained a lot by having air contact. So I would suggest to open the bottle one or two hours before being served or to decant it. In the taste I get  black currants, leather and some tobacco with tannins at the end. This is a wine that is still developing and is quite strong. Good now and will gain a bit extra with two-three more years of ageing.

The white wines from Germany and Italy

Sometimes I try some rieslings from Germany since the rieslings in Germany can give very good wines. The last one I tried was Georg Breuer and the Sauvage riesling from 2018.  Georg Breuer is a producer in the region of Rheingau. The ABV of this vintage is 12%. In the taste I get green apple, petroleum and some minerals. In the aftertaste I get some slight bitter almonds. A nice riesling.

The next wine comes from Italy and the region of Sicily. It is the wine Colomba Platino from the producer Duca Di Salaparuta. It is the vintage 2016 and the ABV is 12,5%. The grape used is 100% Inzolia or Ansonica as it is also known as. It is a native grape to Sicily and is quite rare. In the taste I get peach, apple and some citrus with some tropical fruits in the back, This is a very good white wine from Sicily.

For the last wine is we go from the south to the north and the region Friuli Venezia Guilia. I have tasted wine from Villa Chiopris before and this time it is their wine Sauvignon Blanc from 2014 that I have tasted. This wine is five years old and that is quite old for being a white wine. In the taste I get tropical fruit with goosberry and apple. Very nice and fresh despite being five years old. Together with spicy food this wine becomes even better. So try it with spicy food and you will not be disappointed.

Three wines from Monte Del Frá

The producer Monte del Fra was founded in 1958 by Massimo Bonomo and his two sons Eligio and Claudio. The company is situated near Verona in the area Bianco di Custoza where they have most of their vineyards, however for about ten years they also have a an estate in Fumane, Lena di Mezzo in the heart of the Valpolicella classico area. The company produce many different wine and I had the fortune to try three of them.

First up is the wine Ca Del Magro Custoza Superiore of vintage 2016 and has an ABV of 13%. This wine is from the heart of Custoza in the hills near Sommacompagna. Grape varieties are 40% Garganega, 10% Trebbiano toscano, 15% Trebbianello, 35% Cortese and Incrocio Manzoni.In the taste I get apples, citrus and some minerals. This is a lovely white wine which I think can be stored for a couple of years before drinking.

Next wine is the Valpolicella Classico Lena Di Mezzo of vintage 2017 and ABV 12,5%. The vineyard is located in the heart of Fumane and this area is full of hills and the mean altitude is about 300 metres above sea level. The grape varieties are 80% Corvina veronese, Corvinone, 20% Rondinella, the classic grapes of Valpolicella. In the taste I get strawberries, red cherry some oak and tannins. Quite dangerously easy drinking wine. A very good Valpolicella.

The last wine is the Valpollicella Ripasso classico superiore from 2016 and this wine is also from Lena di Mezzo. The ABV is a bit higher and is at 14%.  As usual for the ripasso the skins of the grapes from Amorone is added for a slow second fermentation when making this ripasso. Lastly the wine is stored in French oak casks for 18 months before being bottled. In the taste I get plum, oak and some red fruits. Very nicely balanced and yet another very good wine from Monte Del Fra.