Donnafugata’s Bell’Assai Frappato is a wonderful expression of Sicily’s terroir, showcasing the many charms of the island's indigenous Frappato grape.
Full of summer fruits pudding, subtle spice and a minerality that leaves your mouth fresh yet full of flavour, this is a delightful wine for year-round food pairing, whether it be salads or tuna steak, venison or grilled mushrooms. If you don't know Frappato, you should!
Donnafugata is something of a stand-out name in Sicilian wine and is certainly one of the yoke-bearers for the work done in focussing the world's attention to the incredible quality available on the island's over the past few decades.
The Rallo family has made wine in Marsala since 1851 and were one of the first families to begin making high quality dry wine when sales of traditional Marsala started to decline. They created the Donnafugata label in 1983 and has since then championed the potential of the Sicily's native grape varieties with much success.
The utterly charming wine label depicts Bell’Assai, a girl offering the fruits of the vineyards and the scents of the countryside to the omnipresent Sicilian breeze. She embodies the spirit of all of the wonderful and enterprising inhabitants of the town of Vittoria. An artistic label with which Donnafugata wants to celebrate the love for the beautiful... che bella!
The vineyards for this wine are located on gently sloping terrains in Acate, in south-east Sicily, at an altitude of 120-150 metres above sea level. The climate is Mediterranean, mitigated by sea breezes during the summer and in an area that experiences a good diurnal range, optimal conditions for grape ripening.
Frappato is a red grape variety indigenous to Sicily, with only 2,000 acres grown worldwide and most it entirely on the island itself! A rare grape indeed! As a varietal, Frappato produces light to medium bodied wines with fine tannins and bright, aromatic flavours of strawberry, violet, white pepper and sweet spice.
Frappato is the perfect wine for all seasons - it can be served slightly chilled for our warmer months (or weeks...), while it also marries very well with robust flavours such as tomato-based sauces, rich stews, ossobucco and spice driven foods, making it perfect for our autumnal and winter weather too.
In the glass, Bell'Assai presents a vibrant ruby red colour. The nose presents a generous bouquet of ripe red berries (think cherry, raspberry, and strawberry), along with delicate floral notes and a touch of spice.
On the palate, Bell’Assai is lively and fresh, with bright red fruit flavours that are complemented by a subtle earthiness and hints of herbal nuances (it's chinotto for me, that wonderful bitter-sweet root that flavours so many alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks in Italy). The wine is medium-bodied with a smooth, silky texture and well-integrated tannins. Wonderfully balanced with a lingering finish of fruit and minerality.
Crafted from the grapes grown in the Vittoria DOC region, this wine captures the essence of tradition in high-quality Sicilian winemaking.
Region: Sicily
Country: Italy
Style: Soft, Pure, Medium Bodied, Elegant, Complex, Bright, Balanced
Best food matches: Wild Boar, Venison, Veal, Trout, Steak, St Stephen's Day, Shellfish, Seafood, Roasts, Red Meats, Poultry, Pizza, Pasta, Mature Cheeses, Lamb, Hard Cheeses, Game, Fine Dining, Duck, Christmas Dinner, Cheeses, Charcuterie, Casseroles, Beef
Alcohol: 13%
