Freisa
⏳ Drinking Window
2022 - 2026
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Classic Piedmontese antipasti and cured meats, rich pasta dishes like tajarin with a savory meat ragu, or roasted pork loin.
✨ Technical Specifications
Hailing from the historic Fontanafredda estate, founded in 1858 by Vittorio Emanuele II, the first King of Italy, for his beloved 'Bela Rosin', this wine celebrates Freisa, one of Piedmont's most ancient and cherished indigenous grape varieties. Genetically linked to Nebbiolo, Freisa was historically favored by the Savoy nobility for its vibrant personality. Fontanafredda crafts this wine to highlight the grape's natural rustic elegance, sourcing fruit from the clay-marled hills of the Langhe. Fermented in stainless steel to preserve its bright, primary aromatics, it reveals a bouquet of wild berries, raspberries, and violets, underpinned by a characteristic spicy, earthy undertone and a lively, refreshing acidity that speaks directly to the terroir of Piedmont.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1858 by Vittorio Emanuele II, the first King of unified Italy, as an estate for his mistress Rosa Vercellana, Fontanafredda evolved into a foundational pillar of Piedmontese viticulture under their son, Count Emanuele Alberto di Mirafiore. The historic estate encompasses 120 hectares of certified organic vineyards centered in Serralunga d'Alba, an area distinguished by compact Helvetian limestone-marl soils and elevated south- and southwest-facing slopes between 200 and 400 meters. Acquired in 2008 by Oscar Farinetti and Luca Baffigo, the property underwent a viticultural renaissance, securing full organic certification with the 2018 harvest. In the nineteenth-century cellars, winemaking merges technical precision with classical Piedmontese restraint, relying on long macerations, stainless steel vinification for fragrant whites, and maturation in neutral Slavonian oak botti for its noble reds. Iconic bottlings include the cru Barolo Vigna La Rosa, Barolo del Comune di Serralunga d'Alba, Roero Arneis Pradalupo, and the pioneering Alta Langa Metodo Classico sparkling wines.