Ca dei Frati Ronchedone 2022

Ronchedone Ca’ dei Frati is a full-bodied red wine with great depth that embodies a unique characteristic: the challenge of producing a red in an area traditionally suited to producing excellent whites. It originates in Lugana di Sirmione, a small town in the hills of Desenzano overlooking the southern shore of Lake Garda. Its history is closely linked to the winery where it is produced, that historic “house with cellar known as Luogo dei Fratti” (the place of the brothers), which first recognized its terroir as rich in promise and expectation. The local climate is among the most favorable on the peninsula: cool summers, mild winters, and a rainy autumn season perfect for ensuring the grapes’ lush growth. The soil is of morainic origin, fairly dry, with a fair amount of clay and gravel. Ronchedone red wine is made from a blend of Sangiovese, Marzemino, and a small percentage (10%) of Cabernet grapes. The training system is among the most widespread in the area: simple Guyot and spurred cordon. Harvest takes place at the end of September and is conducted meticulously and carefully to ensure that grapes arrive at the cellar at an optimal level of ripeness. Here, the winemaking process begins with prolonged maceration on the skins, which helps extract the flavors and character of the future wine. The next step is malolactic fermentation, which takes place in barriques for a period of no less than 15 months. The production process concludes with 10 months of bottle aging, which gives the product its unique organoleptic characteristics.