Frappato

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Frappato, one of Sicily's most exciting indigenous grape varieties, is experiencing a remarkable renaissance thanks to natural winemaking. This historic variety, which turned out to be a cross between Sangiovese and a previously unidentified grape variety, has a fascinating profile, especially when vinified in a minimalist way. It is also the mainstay of Cerasuolo di Vittoria, Sicily's only DOCG wine.
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This is a traditional cuvée that must consist of 30-50% of this variety and 50-70% of Nero d'Avola. The Frappato provides elegance and aromatic complexity. But it is the pure varietal interpretation that delights wine enthusiasts today.

Arianna Occhipinti has redefined the potential of this often underestimated variety like no other winemaker. At her biodynamically cultivated vineyard in Vittoria, she works with the utmost precision to develop a completely new style of Frappato. The old vines, which drive their roots deep into the chalky red soil, produce grapes of remarkable finesse. Her interpretation is of an almost translucent lightness - fragrant, precise, with a fascinating combination of red berries, wild herbs and a subtle Mediterranean flavour.

The genetic relationship to the Sangiovese is characterised by a fine acidity structure that lends the wines freshness and elegance. The lean body and pronounced grape flavour are characteristic of the variety. However, unlike its Tuscan relative, Frappato develops its very own aromatic orientation: less focussed on dark fruit and more on red berries, rose petals and an almost ethereal spicy note.

In the soils around Vittoria, characterised by limestone and reddish terra rossa, the variety finds perhaps its most convincing form of expression. The high permeability of the soil forces the vines to root deeply, which is particularly important in the hot Sicilian summers. The night-time coolness that drifts up from the nearby Mediterranean provides the aromatic complexity that characterises good Frappatos.

This new generation of Frappato wines calls for a reassessment not only of the grape variety, but of Sicilian viticulture as a whole. They show that wines of remarkable finesse and precision can also be produced in the hot south - provided that the natural characteristics of the grape variety and the terroir are respected.
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