B-21 Top Recommendation
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Equally appealing to Italian wine lovers seeking value and anyone looking for a deliciously crisp, well-crafted white wine at bargain pricing, the beautifully aromatic 2021 Ca dei Frati Lugana I Frati offers rich, ripe fruit and zesty mineral-driven acidity, reflecting its glacial origins overlooking the sparkling turquoise waters of Italy's Lake Garda and "always an excellent value" according to Robert Parker Jr., now bargain priced to easily become your new house Italian white.
Recognizing the area's potential for cultivating grapes for wine, Ca dei Frati founder Felice Dal Cero took over the rundown 18th century Frati farm on the southern shore of Lake Garda in 1939 and set about improving viticulture and modernizing winemaking over the next three decades alongside his son Pietro, who was instrumental in the creation of the Lugana DOC in 1969 and responsible for their first official bottling. Now run by third generation siblings Gian Franco, Anna Maria and winemaker Igino Dal Cero, the family run Ca' dei Frati winery is based in Lake Garda's historic village of Lugana di Sirmione, surrounded by estate vineyards planted with the indigenous Turbiana, a distinct varietal previously called Trebbiano di Lugana from which the Lugana white wine is made. Ranging up to 40 years of age on glacial calcareous and clay soils that limit yields and contribute minerality, the Turbiana vines enjoy the lakeside's unique microclimate of warm days and ever present drying breezes, enhancing even ripening while preserving freshness and keeping the well ventilated grapes free of mold. Crafted from 100% Turbiana and fermented in stainless steel, the crisp and appealing 2024 Lugana I Frati was aged on the lees in stainless for 6 months with another 2 months in bottle before release, yielding fresh, alluring aromas and richly textured fruit hinting of saline-tinged minerality and finishing with tantalizing acidity that begs for another sip.
Formerly a coveted discovery of tourists who flock to the shores of Lake Garda each summer, the secret is out on the bright and elegant 2021 Ca dei Frati Lugana I Frati, an easy to love and affordably priced Italian white wine crafted by one of the region's top producers that you'll find yourself reaching for again and again. | 
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