Lugana

No winery has characterised Lugana like Zenato. When Sergio Zenato started out in San Benedetto di Lugana in 1960, the appellation was a sleepy corner on the southern shore of Lake Garda. Today, the family winery owns 70 hectares of the best vineyards – a tenth of the entire DOC. The Trebbiano di Lugana grape variety, also known as Turbiana, is rooted here on clayey moraine soils between Peschiera and Desenzano. DNA analyses suggest a relationship with Verdicchio – a debate that is causing a stir among ampelographers. One thing is certain: The 30-year-old vines produce grapes of remarkable complexity. Hand-picked at the end of September, gently pressed, fermented at 16–18°C in stainless steel.

Probably the most famous Lugana from the southern shore of Lake Garda – i Frati is the flagship of the estate. Made from 100% Turbiana from calcareous moraine soils, it combines regional typicity with fine modern precision. Brilliant straw yellow in the glass with greenish reflections. Fresh citrus fruit, white peaches, pears and a hint of almond blossom on the nose, complemented by delicate herbal notes. Clear and juicy on the palate, with lively, well-integrated acidity, fine flavour and a subtle mineral vein that lends freshness and depth in equal measure. The final is long, elegant and characterised by citrus fruit. A timeless classic that brings the terroir of the Lugana region perfectly into the glass – stylish, stimulating to drink and with assured ageing potential. SUPERIORE.DE

A small lake, over 60 animal species, some of them rare, and in the middle of it all: 30 hectares of Turbiana vines (Trebbiano di Soave). Oasi Mantellina in Pozzolengo is the Allegrini family's latest chapter, a commitment to one of the most exciting white wine appellations in northern Italy. The soils here differ from classic Lugana: sandier, interspersed with gravel. The result is wines with lively acidity instead of heavy minerality. After gentle pressing, the 2024 matures for four months in steel, followed by two months in the bottle.

With the Brolettino, Ca' dei Frati shows the powerful, mature side of Lugana. The Turbiana grapes come from older vines, whose deep roots give the fruit particular concentration. After fermentation, the wine matures for several months in barriques, which gives it additional structure and depth. Brilliant straw yellow colour with golden reflections in the glass. Ripe yellow fruit, pineapple, apricot and candied lemon on the nose, with fine vanilla and almond notes. Creamy and full-bodied on the palate, with an elegant woody flavour, fine minerality and harmoniously integrated acidity. The finish is long, smooth and delicately enveloping. A Lugana with fullness and elegance, which presents itself excellently both young and after a few years of ageing in the bottle. SUPERIORE.DE

Lugana as a sparkling wine? The idea sounds unusual, but Sergio Zenato has been pursuing it since the winery was founded in the 1960s. He recognised early on that Trebbiano di Lugana, with its fine acidity and aromatic purity, was ideal for traditional bottle fermentation. Hand-picked in mid-September, gentle whole-cluster pressing, fermentation with natural yeasts at 16°C in stainless steel. This is followed by the decisive step: the second fermentation in the bottle according to the Metodo Classico – the same method used in Champagne. The Spumante sur lie matures for a full 24 months before remuage and dégorgement release the fine flavours.

Sansonina (Lugana and Merlot) is a strictly limited and very ambitious project by the Zenato family, in which only the best grapes from their own vineyards are used. Only a small number of these are sold in numbered bottles each year.

The Cuvée dei Frati is composed of classic Lugana grapes and ten per cent Chardonnay to round it off. After 24 months of ageing on the lees in the bottle, this fine sparkling wine is created with aromas of biscuit, hay and dried tobacco leaves. The moderate carbonic acidity makes it glide over the palate like silk. SUPERIORE.DE

Pale straw yellow in colour with a fine, lively perlage. The bouquet shows clear signs of citrus fruit, yellow peach and green apple, accompanied by a fine bread crust flavour and a salty hint. Dry and elegantly structured on the palate, with taut acidity, fine mousse and astonishing finesse. Thanks to 24 months of ageing on the lees, the texture is creamy, the finish long, mineral and characterised by subtle almond notes – a Lugana in sparkling guise that impressively emphasises the potential of the indigenous Turbiana as a sparkling wine. SUPERIORE.DE

A Lugana Metodo Classico with supreme elegance: the 2019 Extra Brut made from 100% Turbiana matures on the fine lees for around 36 months and combines freshness, structure and fine complexity. Pale straw yellow in the glass with golden reflections and a fine, persistent perlage. Notes of lemon, white apple and bread crust on the nose, subtly accompanied by hints of almond. Clear and dry on the palate, with lively acidity, precise texture and fine mineral tension. The fruit remains fresh and focussed, the final is elegant, fresh and delicately spicy – a refreshingly crisp spumante that perfectly expresses the terroir and style of the house in the glass. SUPERIORE.DE

Brilliant golden yellow colour. Complex notes of light peach, fresh pineapple and poached apricot on the nose. Rich and creamy on the palate with accents of smoke and toasted almonds. The finish is long-lasting, mineral and herb-accentuated. This very focussed and complex white paints a beautiful portrait of the refined side of the Trebbiano di Lugana grape, which is becoming increasingly popular. SUPERIORE.DE

Ca' dei Frati, known as "il luogo dei Frati" since 1782 – the place of the monks – in Lugana near Sirmione on Lake Garda, is now owned by the fourth generation of the Dal Cero family. The traditional winery vinifies each vineyard plot separately in order to precisely express the respective terroir. The Cuvée dei Frati dosaggio zero is made from the indigenous Turbiana grape variety, the famous Trebbiano di Lugana, supplemented by a small dose of Chardonnay to maintain the acidity structure typical of Metodo Classico wines. The grapes grow on calcareous, clayey soils on the moraine hills south of Lake Garda, whose minerality gives the wines a special freshness and sapidity. The first fermentation takes place partly in stainless steel and partly in barriques, the second fermentation strictly according to the Metodo Classico in the bottle. After at least 36 months on the lees – significantly longer than for Brut – followed by a further four months of bottle ageing after disgorgement.

The Cuvée dei Frati is composed of classic Lugana grapes and ten per cent Chardonnay to round it off. After 24 months of ageing on the lees in the bottle, this fine sparkling wine is created with aromas of biscuit, hay and dried tobacco leaves. The moderate carbonic acidity makes it glide over the palate like silk. SUPERIORE.DE