Fronde
⏳ Drinking Window
2021 - 2024
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Fresh seafood starters, light vegetable risottos, or classic Piedmontese vitello tonnato.
✨ Technical Specifications
Hailing from the historic Fontanafredda estate—founded in 1858 by Vittorio Emanuele II, the first King of Italy, as a romantic estate for his beloved mistress 'Bela Rosin'—the 'Le Fronde' collection celebrates the vibrant white wine heritage of Piedmont. This expression typically highlights classic regional white varietals such as Arneis, grown in the marine-clay and sandy soils of the Langhe and Roero hills. The name 'Le Fronde' (meaning 'the leaves') pays homage to the lush vine canopies that protect the delicate grapes from the intense summer sun. Vinified entirely in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks to preserve its pristine fruit character, this wine showcases a brilliant straw-yellow hue, offering an aromatic bouquet of white flowers, green apple, and subtle mineral undertones, backed by a crisp, refreshing acidity.
🍾 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.