{"product_id":"ca-dei-frati-brolettino-lugana-doc-2024","title":"Brolettino Lugana DOC 2024","description":"\u003ch2\u003eBrolettino Lugana DOC 2024 by Cà dei Frati. Late-harvest Turbiana, ten months in barrique, long aging.\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBrolettino Lugana DOC 2024\u003c\/strong\u003e is the barrel-aged premium line of the Dal Cero family, crafted 100 percent from Turbiana grapes from the southern shore of Lake Garda. Not a classic quaffable Lugana, not a crisp, fresh summer wine, not a pure aperitif bottle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBrolettino Lugana DOC 2024\u003c\/strong\u003e is a full-bodied Italian white wine from the Cà dei Frati winery, made from fully ripe Turbiana grapes. In the glass, the wine displays a bright straw yellow with golden reflections. On the nose, ripe apricot, yellow peach, a hint of vanilla, and delicate balsamic notes unfold. On the palate, there is a creamy substance, supported by balanced acidity and a fine salty minerality. It is the Lugana interpretation for lovers of sophisticated, age-worthy white wines — a wine worthy of the main course.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eApricot, Peach, Vanilla — Fruit over Wood\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003c!--nl--\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe aromatics of this bottle play on two levels. Upfront are ripe yellow fruits: apricot, yellow peach, a hint of Williams pear. Behind them, the barrique wood contributes not loudly, but as a fine spice carpet of vanilla, Bourbon caramel, and a touch of toasted bread. With aeration, a slightly balsamic, almost resinous note opens up, typical of ripe Turbiana.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOn the palate, the wine is creamy and firm at the same time. The ten months of aging in barrique have given it substance without masking the varietal character. The acidity is present, but enveloped by the fruit. The finish leaves a finely spicy salinity reminiscent of damp chalk and lemon peel. A wine that is ready to drink and at the same time has five to eight years of development ahead of it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThose who expect grassy freshness and quick drinkability from a Lugana will find this wine too dense and too structured. For summer aperitif rounds with chilled expectations, this bottle is not the right label. The aromatics need time, a glass, and food accompaniment. Those who expect a lean Lugana will also find the wine too dense and full-bodied.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWith Risotto, Poultry, and Aged Hard Cheese\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eServe the wine at 11 to 13 °C from a medium-sized Burgundy glass. The serving temperature is more important here than with entry-level Lugana. Served too cold, the wine clamps down on the wood aromas and appears closed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAt the table, the wine pairs well with substantial warm appetizers. A risotto with porcini mushrooms, tagliatelle with truffle butter, pan-fried corn-fed chicken fillet with tarragon cream sauce, or braised cod with saffron fennel will awaken its aromas. Grilled shrimp with garlic butter, vitello tonnato with ripe caper mayonnaise, or pasta with toasted almonds and lemon zest also find a counterpart here. For the cheese course, it is the partner for aged mountain cheese, an 18-month Manchego, or creamy Robiola. In combination with grilled char or poached sea bass, it shows that even freshwater fish and mineral white wine can form their own axis.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGood to know:\u003c\/strong\u003e The bottle benefits significantly from decanting. Twenty to thirty minutes in a wide decanter smooth out the last woody edges and open up the fruit. Those who expect the wine from younger vintages will find it noticeably changed and leaner. The family has consciously reduced the wood in the current style. This clearly shifts the balance towards fruit and minerality. For lovers of oak-accented, buttery Chardonnays in the Burgundy style, this bottle is not the right label — the mineral Lugana character remains recognizable. For a comparative tasting, we recommend the crisp \u003ca href=\"\/en\/products\/ca-dei-frati-i-frati-lugana-2025\"\u003eI Frati Lugana 2025\u003c\/a\u003e from the same house and the \u003ca href=\"\/en\/products\/ca-dei-frati-pratto-weissweincuvee-2024\"\u003ePratto 2024\u003c\/a\u003e as a cuvée variant.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eA Lugana with Oak Barrel Aging\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe label designates the premium line of Cà dei Frati in the Lugana segment. While the well-known I Frati Lugana is entirely aged in steel and aims for freshness, the Brolettino takes the more classic path via wood. The grapes are harvested later, usually in mid-to-late October, when ripeness is fully developed. Vinification begins in stainless steel tanks, with the finish taking place in barriques. The wine then rests on its fine lees for ten months. This is followed by another three months of bottle aging before the bottles leave the winery. In total, over a year passes between harvest and sale.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eTurbiana, also known regionally as Trebbiano di Lugana, is the only grape variety in this bottle. It was delineated as its own variety from Trebbiano di Soave in 2011 and is now considered one of Italy's most exciting indigenous white wine materials. The clay-limestone moraine terroir of Lugana gives it a characteristic salty minerality, which is particularly evident in this oak aging. The mild microclimate on the southern shore of Lake Garda prevents even late harvests from resulting in flat musts.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eCà dei Frati is among the pioneers of the Lugana region. The winery is located directly in the heart of the appellation, in Lugana di Sirmione, where the Sirmione peninsula juts deepest into Lake Garda. The vines benefit from a mild lake climate that protects acidity even in hot vintages. The clay-limestone moraine soil gives the wines their characteristic salty minerality. These special conditions make Lugana one of the few Italian white wine appellations with true aging potential. This characteristic is particularly evident in oak aging. Pietro Dal Cero was a co-founder of DOC Lugana in 1969 and significantly shaped the appellation's profile. This bottle was created in response to the question of whether the region, beyond the youthful drinking style, could also produce white wines with aging potential. The answer is now in every bottle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eA Lugana for the Main Course\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhat fundamentally distinguishes this wine from the broad Lugana wave is its self-perception. It was not conceived as an accessible summer lemonade, but as an age-worthy food companion. In the glass, it is a white wine that can carry an entire main course and, in the hands of the attentive host, remains drinkable even two years later. As a gift for wine lovers, it is an unusual choice, precisely because it transcends the expected framework of DOC Lugana. At one's own table, it pairs with menus featuring fish or poultry for those who don't reflexively reach for red wine. In its latest style, the Dal Cero family has carefully reduced the oak aromas without abandoning the claim of age-worthiness. This shifts the target audience slightly: those who expect a distinctly present toast and vanilla note will find more restrained tones here. This results in a wine that pairs better with food today than the more opulent predecessor vintages. Even in a few years, it will still offer excitement in the glass.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eA bottle for hosts who take Lugana seriously — and don't just see it as an aperitif to open the door.\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Cà dei Frati","offers":[{"title":"750 ml","offer_id":56618225926470,"sku":"001CDF021","price":15.9,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0998\/4960\/1350\/files\/ca-dei-frati-brolettino-lugana-doc-2023.jpg?v=1779347796","url":"https:\/\/ginusslande.com\/en\/products\/ca-dei-frati-brolettino-lugana-doc-2024","provider":"genussland","version":"1.0","type":"link"}