This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)

Rocca di Frassinello is one of the most famous wineries in the Chianti Classico area, on the hills of the Municipality of Gavorrano, in the province of Grosseto. It’s a winery dedicated to high-quality productions (also known as Monteregio D.O.C.), which has outstanding geological and climatic features. It also benefits from the Italian-French collaboration between Castellare di Castellina (a historic brand of Chianti) by Paolo Panerai and Chateau Lafite-Rothschild.
The original design of the winery was entrusted to the prestigious team led by Renzo Piano, and was opened in 2007: it covers about 9.567 square yards with some 1.235 acres of cultivable land (308 of which are used for vineyards). The cubic cellar measures 150 ft on each side and currently stores 2.500 oak barrels arranged on concentric and descending steps like an arena. The external light reaches the cellar by a peculiar system of mirrors, coming straight from the tower on the terrace.
Outside, there’s a glazed pavilion to host tasting experiences, conferences and even concerts. The whole facility is focused on eco-sustainability thanks to some clever architectural and technical choices, such as that of exploiting the force of gravity for the production cycle (the so-called “by gravity” technique), as well as that of building an underground barrel cellar that allows natural air conditioning; not to mention the state-of-the-art large photovoltaic system.

The colour of the building really stands out with a red shade that evokes the earth and the wine: moreover, the large terrace of the Rocca was conceived to eliminate any human intervention and ideally place the visitor in the heart of Tuscan Maremma.

The company has planted half autochthonous Sangiovese vines, half French varieties and, since the first harvest in 2004, the wines have made themselves known and appreciated with three labels: Poggio alla Guardia, Le Sughere di Frassinello, and Rocca di Frassinello.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)