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| Fratelli's new BIO offer |
| By Ravi Joshi |
| "The strongest man in the world is one who stands alone", this quote from Henrik Ibsen, the nineteenth century Norwegian poet, formed part of the booklet "Thought for the day" which was handed out to guests as they signed off from the launch of new imported wines by Fratelli wines - a rapidly emerging Indian wine company. With a rather significant 16 new wines in their portfolio, Fratelli may well be taking the ambition expressed by the quote rather seriously! |
| Fratelli Wines was established in 2006 by the partnership of three families of brothers (Secci from Italy, Sekhri and Mohite-Patil from India) who established a winemaking facility in Akluj, about 170 km south of Pune. The Fratelli domestic portfolio brings novelty to the Indian wine space with a Sangiovese varietal, a Super Tuscan inspired blend and an uncommon blend of Gewurztraminer, Muller Thürgau and Chenin Blanc. |
| The launch of the new import portfolio was hosted at "The Mansion", at the Hyatt Regency New Delhi. The presentation of the wines was very well co-ordinated and the range of cuisine for the 300 odd guests to sample alongside the wines made the event a hit! It was indeed a delight to have senior representatives from the wineries on hand to make sure that the very essence of their wines was communicated in the right spirit. |
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Expectant guests at the launch event |
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| After an introduction, Craig Wedge, Brand Director, opened the large portals of the tasting arena rather dramatically (I was reminded of a TV show from the yesteryears – 'Crystal Maze'). The wine and food islands were well laid out, with ample space for ambulation to ensure that the swirling went unhindered as well! A tasting book for notes was available, and it had narrowed down the tasting sequence. Notwithstanding my own tasting sequence, I am sharing these wines with you winery-wise to facilitate easier reading. All prices are indicated ex Delhi:
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A wide portfolio |
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| Zardetto (Italy) |
| Zardetto is located in the Conegliano hills in the heart of Prosecco vineyards. Fabio Zardetto (Owner) was present to show two of his wines: |
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| Prosecco Cuvée Brut (₹ 1730): A crisp dry and a straightforward sparkler well suited for casual drinking. Fabio told me that this label is quite popular for use in cocktails as well. |
| Prosecco Extra Dry (₹ 2660): A tad sweeter than the above, this one was rounder on the palate with a fruity/ floral character. A suitable aperitif as well as with food. |
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| Boisset - La Famille des Grands Vins (France) |
| Proudly calling itself a "family of families" with wines from Burgundy, Jura, Beaujolais, Rhone, Sud de France and California, this family owned business puts across their credo metaphorically – "oceans separate us, great wines unite us". Olivier Medigue (Export Manager) was present to explain the wines with fluid ease:
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| Maison Bonpas Côtes du Rhone Villages (₹ 2600): A full bodied wine with black fruits/ spice aromas and flavours. Appeared quite suitable for the average Indian preferences with its silky tannins. |
| Fortant de France Chardonnay (₹ 2340): Dry and light bodied on the palate with subtle tropical fruits flavours. |
| Fortant de France Grenache Rosé (₹ 1800): Refreshing, dry with red berries flavours and a long finish. |
| Fortant de France Grenache (₹ 1800): Intensely fruity wine with a luscious well rounded palate and pleasant tannins. |
| Fortant de France Cabernet Sauvignon (₹ 2340): Deep ruby wine with a full body, round tannins accompanied by ripe blackberries and cassis flavours. |
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| Maison J Moreau & Fils (France) |
| Considered a specialist in Chablis wines. |
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| J Moreau & Fils Chablis AOC (₹ 6030): A refined expression of Chardonnay with well balanced fruit-acidity and a minerally complexity. |
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| Jean-Pierre Moueix (France) |
| A négociant (trader) from Bordeaux. |
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| Château Bernadotte AOC Haut-Médoc 2008 (₹ 8175): A wine with half-half blend of Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot, which is quite uncommon for a left bank (of Gironde estuary) wine. The wine has delightful aromas of dark fruits, fruit cake and chocolate. A good choice for Christmas. |
| Château Chantalouette AOC Pomerol 2008 (₹ 10545): A full bodied wine with a firm stucture and flavours of ripe red fruits. Long on the finish. |
| Château Laujac AOC Médoc 2012 (₹ 6635): A surprisingly friendly wine with a savoury palate that makes it a very good gourmet wine. |
| Châteaux Vieux Lartigue Saint-Émilion Grand Cru 2008 (₹ 7490): A wine with rounded fruit flavours and silky tannins. Fruity and sweet spice aromas make it an indulgence! Likely to be an excellent companion with rich Indian preparations - I'm thinking Butter Chicken (tandoor roasted chicken in creamy gravy) and Dal Makhani (slow cooked lentils with a smoky flavour). |
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| Viña Edmara (Chile) |
| A producer that has a presence in the Central Valley as well as coastal area of Chile. The wines in the Fratelli portfolio come from the Central Valley. |
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| Viña Edmara Chardonnay (₹ 2450): A typical warm weather Chardonnay replete with tropical fruit flavours and rounded mouthfeel. |
| Viña Edmara Pinot Noir (₹ 2550): A juicy delight on the palate this wine had ripe red berries and vegetal aromas. |
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| Il Casone (Italy) |
| The winery is situated in a small town called Trebaseleghe, at the junction of three Venetian cities Treviso, Padua and Venice. |
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| Il Casone Pinot Grigio (₹ 2310): A refreshing wine with citrus and dried flower aromas. Delicate on the palate with subtle flavours of tree fruits. A good wine on its own or light food. |
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| Caliterra (Chile) |
| Established in 1996 as a joint venture between the Robert Mondavi family and Viña Errazuriz from Colchagua, Chile. "Caliterra" is amalgamated from "Calidad" (quality) and "Tierra" (land). The name hence signifies the respective strengths of the partners. |
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| Caliterra Chardonnay (₹ 2340): Straw coloured wine with an expressive nose of citrus, dry fruits, and a hint of spice. Delicious on the palate with a good balance of acidity and ripe fruit. |
| Caliterra Merlot (₹ 2340): An intensely fruity wine with ripe aromatics and flavours of red berries and rounded tannins that make it an easy drinking wine. |
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| Casa Sola (Italy) |
| The vineyards of Casa Sola are located in the centre of Chianti Classico area in Tuscany. The region prides itself on its rich biodiversity that comprises of forests and olive groves interspersed with vineyards. |
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| Casa Sola Chianti Classico (₹ 3600): A medium ruby wine with blackberries and spice aromas. Medium bodied on the palate with rounded tannins and a hint of oak. |
| At this launch, besides the import portfolio, Fratelli’s domestic portfolio was also being poured for the guests to sample, which showed the confidence of Fratelli in these wines. And this confidence was not misplaced, since the wines integrated seamlessly with their global counterparts. I spoke to Piero Masi, who informed me that his endeavour to tailor the wines to Indian preferences seems to be paying off, going by the customer feedback received. Kapil Sekhri, Managing Director Fratelli Wines said "The idea behind adding imported wine labels to our portfolio is to offer a complete range of wines to the consumers. With this they will have a wider spectrum of our wines to choose from". |
| The bottled in origin portfolio of Fratelli is in line with a trend among some domestic wine companies (Sula and before that Indage) to expand market reach to a wider cross-section of wine consumers. The average consumer’s favourable inclination towards imported wines gives this approach more credence. Fratelli now treads this somewhat luring path. |
| All in an effort to spoil the consumer for choices. |
| Ravi Joshi was invited by Fratelli Wines to the event. |
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