Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
compact grape bunch and a tendency to pro-
duce wines that are slightly lower in total acid-
ity and pH. Two clones available (FC 26, FC 31)
are not so different. Frappato likes hot and dry
conditions, so it is ideally suited as a companion
to Nero d'Avola, which does well in cooler,
moist soils. Another difference between the
two is that Frappato grows erect, while Nero
d'Avola tends to spread out radially. At Cos, one
of the two best producers of Frappato wines
(the other is Valle dell'Acate), they believe Frap-
pato, which is neither vigorous nor especially
fertile, is best pruned by the Guyot system as
this pushes the grapevine to produce more, and
more loosely packed, bunches.
Frappato is a variety characterized by the
light color of its wines, and so it behooves the
wine lover to know something of its anthocy-
anin profi le. Anthocyanin analysis reveals that
the most abundant pigment is malvin, but
peonin concentration is also relevant, while
acylated anthocyanins (stable anthocyanin
forms) are scarce: the latter two findings
explain the wine's lighter, unstable color.
As of 2011 there were 803 hectares planted to
Frappato in Sicily, down slightly from 833 hec-
tares in 2010: though not a small amount, this
acreage is still less than 1 percent of the land
planted to vineyards in Sicily, making Frappato
only the seventeenth most-planted variety in
Sicily. Frappato's home is the province of
Ragusa, especially in the countryside around
Vittoria (a pretty baroque city very much worth
a visit), and around Syracuse, though it also
grows in the province of Trapani. It seems to
perform best when grown on red sandy-calcare-
ous soils such as those of the Vittoria area; it
doesn't do as well on clay-rich soils, where it pro-
duces wines that are less fragrant and refi ned. I
think one
grand cru
area for Frappato is between
Pedalino and Acate; another is Bastonaca.
alcohol levels that are easier to manage. How-
ever, it is a reductive variety, so frequent pump-
ings over or rack and returns meant to increase
oxygen delivery are necessary in order to avoid
the development of off odors. Michele Bean,
viticulturalist and consulting winemaker at
Cos, likes to say that “with Frappato, you can't
ask for the color of merlot, because it's an alto-
gether different wine, but it's pleasant and
smooth, with lively acidity and wonderful fra-
grances. It's meant to be drunk young. And for
bigger taste sensations, there's always Cera-
suolo di Vittoria.”
The most famous Frappato wine is the DOC
wine Cerasuolo di Vittoria (in this case, “Cera-
suolo” does not imply the wine is a rosé, as it
would in Abruzzo where Cerasuolo is the name
of the local
rosato
); Eloro is another DOC. How-
ever neither is monovarietal: for example, the
Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOC legislation allows no
more than 40 percent Frappato in the blend
(the rest is Nero d'Avola), so in order to see what
Frappato wines are all about, try one of the
many excellent IGT wines. In fact, Frappato
wines have improved by leaps and bounds over
the last decade (I certainly didn't think highly
of it in the past), and are now delicious, light,
refreshing red wines that match well with
many different dishes, including complex fi sh
preparations. Its delicately tannic personality
means you can also lightly chill it. A good
monovarietal Frappato will therefore be pale
red, explosively fragrant (strawberry, violet,
broom, dried herbs), medium bodied at most,
and very fresh and juicy. In fact, with a little
experience it becomes very easy to pick out
those Cerasuolo di Vittoria wines that are made
with signifi cant percentages of Frappato. Those
with closer to 40 percent Frappato are lighter
and more fragrant, with a very recognizable
herbal-fl oral nose that wines containing high
proportions of Nero d'Avola do not have.
Which Wines to Choose and Why
Though it's diffi cult in the vineyards, Frappato
is a relatively easy variety to work with in the
cellar, as the low tannin and sugar concentra-
tions mean shorter fermentation times and low
wines to try:
Cos***, Valle dell'Acate***,
Paolo Calì*** (Rosato Osà, Mandragola), Ari-
anna Occhipinti**, La Moresca*, Poggio di Ber-
tolone*, Terre del Gattopardo*.
