Rocca di Frassinello

Rocca di Frassinello is situated in the Maremma, practically on the ancient Roman road, the Via Aurelia, between Grosseto and Follonica in the northern hills. Or, for wine connoisseurs: between Bolgheri to the north and Scansano to the south. It is the brainchild of publisher Paolo Panerai, who has already transformed Castellare di Castellina in Chianti into one of the highest-quality estates in the Chianti Classico region. Originally founded as a joint venture with Domaines Barons de Rothschild-Lafite, Rocca di Frassinello is now wholly owned by Paolo Panerai's group.

A terroir between the sea and the mountains

A new vineyard was created from five smaller farms. It now comprises just under 500 hectares of land, with vines gradually planted across 90 hectares. Paolo Panerai and his expert advisers, led byOenologist Alessandro Cellai, recognised that unique conditions converge here in the hills. On the one hand, there are soil formations similar to those in Castellina – a factor that was important to Panerai, a lover of Sangiovese – whilst on the other hand, average temperatures are 3–5 degrees higher, allowing the French varieties Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Syrah to ripen more fully. And thirdly, the constant wind, which flows through the Via Aurelia from the sea during the day, as if through a canyon, and brings cool air from the sheltering mountains to the north at night. As a result, morning dew or rain dries up quickly and the vines are hardly at risk of disease.

Sangioveto meets the great French grape varieties

The collaboration with professors from the University of Turin on research into Sangiovese clones (referred to here as Sangioveto) is continuing at Rocca di Frassinello, and many clone selections that had become rare have been replanted. The idea here, however, is to combine the best of Sangiovese with the best of the French grape varieties for which Bolgheri is famous. And this is achieved masterfully and, thanks to the limestone- and iron-rich soils, is in fact quite unique.

Paolo Panerai, the America's Cup and the art of sailing

"Sailing brings people together" – that's how one might paraphrase an old saying. After all, Paolo Panerai and many of those involved in the project are also keen sailors. Panerai is even involved in the legendary America's Cup, the oldest regatta still held and arguably the most spectacular in the world. There are countless articles written by Paolo Panerai, all of which have some connection to sailing – indeed, he even compared winemaking to competing in the America's Cup; after all, barriques were once the containers in which wine was typically transported on sailing ships.

The Renzo Piano Winery: a masterpiece of wine architecture

This circle of friends also includes the star architect Renzo Piano, whose father, incidentally, was renowned for his outstanding wines in Piedmont. Piano designed the impressive winery in the Maremma. Drawing on the winegrower's knowledge of internal processes, he created a true masterpiece, the centrepiece of which – the ageing room for the barriques – resembles a modern concert hall.

One could easily write a book about Paolo Panerai and his friends, his vineyards and his wines, but unfortunately there isn't enough space here. But we promise you this: if you take the time to savour the wines from Rocca di Frassinello, you won't regret it – instead, you'll instantly feel as though you're in the hills of Tuscany, surrounded by a fragrant sea breeze and the Tuscan sun! SUPERIORE.DE