08 Oct Please The Palate Wine of the Week: Villa Simone 2023 Frascati Superiore D.O.C.G Riverva

While attending the Simply Italian wine event in Los Angeles this week, I participated in a seminar about a region of Italy that I was not very familiar with. That might seem like a surprise since I have studied Italian wine and have traveled to Italy many times. The wine is Frascati, named after a tiny ancient town in the hills just southwest of Rome. A white wine that balances acidity and sapidity, I enjoyed the entire flight. But, one wine, the Villa Simone 2023 Frascati Superiore D.O.C.G Riverva, stood out and is the Please The Palate wine of the week.

About Frascati

Frascati, located in Lazio, the region around Rome, is one of the oldest wines in Italy, dating back to Roman times, and is the most famous wine in Lazio. Frascati is one of the 14 towns in Castelli Romani, located in the Colli Albani, the hills that mark the southern edge of the Campagna Romana plain on which Rome is located. The Colli Albani landscape was formed by eruptions of the Lazio Volcano, resulting in fertile volcanic soils, rich in potassium and nitrogen. The climate is Mediterranean with scarce summer rains and good average annual temperatures. The Tyrrhenian Sea is 18 miles away and provides a sea breeze in the vineyards. The grapes ripen slowly.

The Frascati consortium was established in 1949 with 18 producers. Frascati received DOC status in 1966. Frascati Superiore and Cannellino di Frascati, a sweet wine made from botrytized grapes, were established as separate DOCGs in 2011. Today, there are 36 producing wineries in an area that includes the golden triangle of Frascati, Monte Porzio Catone, Grottaferrata, a part of Rome, and a part of the town of Montecompatri. 2224 acres of the total 21,003 acres are planted to vineyards.

Frascati is an appellation for dry, still, and sparkling wines. The rules for all styles of wine produced are that at least 70 percent of the blend must be taken up by Malvasia di Candia and/or Malvasia Puntinata (Malvasia del Lazio); up to 30 percent may be Bellone Bianco, Bombino Bianco, Greco, and/or Trebbiano; other authorized white grapes may account for a maximum of 15 percent.

Frascati DOC must be 11% alcohol, Frasceti Superiore must be a minimum of 12% alcohol, and Frascati Superiore Riserva must reach 13 percent and be aged for 12 months before release.

Malvasia di Candia, or red Malvasia, gives fruity and floral notes, whereas Malvasia Puntinata (meaning dotted) gives an aromatic, savory, and soft flavor. Trebbiano Toscano gives a delicate wine with good freshness and acidity; Trebbiano Giallo gives light aromas of toasted almonds; Bombino Bianco gives a light wine with notes of tropical fruit; Bellone, an indigenous grape, produces a light and fresh wine.

About Villa Simone Vigneto Filonardi

Villa Simone is owned by Piero Costantini who purchased vineyards formerly owned by Cardinal Pallotta in the municipality of Monteporzio Catone, in the heart of the Frascati winemaking tradition in the early 1980s. The wine is called Vigneto Filonardi, which is a vineyard on a steep hill. The soils are volcanic and the grapes planted are Malvasia del Lazio, Malvasia di Candia, Trebbiano, and Grechetto. The 2023 Frascati Superiore Riserva is a blend of 95% Malvasia del Lazio, 3% Masvasia di Candia, and 2% Trebbiano. The grapes are softly pressed, fermented, and aged 6 months sur lees, followed by 6 months in bottle.

Tasting Notes

Frascati was once thought of as an overproduced, bland, white wine but this wine is anything but bland. The wine is a straw yellow color. The nose is subtle with flinty notes of wet stones and aromas of ripe fruit, citrus, and flowers. On the palate, the wine is balanced with a nice complexity. It is fruity with mineral undertones. The wine has textured acidity enhanced by the sapidity. There are savory notes and a long, complete finish. This is not a wine that screams for attention but instead is elegant.

Food Pairing

Frascati is a food friendly wine due to its structure and aromatic complexity. It is a wine that will neither overwhelm a dish nor get overpowered. It is a wine that can be paired with fish, shellfish, smoked meats, cheeses, and Roman cuisine (think caccio e pepe).

Where To Purchase

I was lucky to taste this wine at the Simply Italian tasting in Los Angeles. Currently the wine is not available in the US but I suggest seeking out other Frascati wines and trying them!