Rocca di Frassinello
ロッカ・ディ・フラッシネッロ
Renzo Piano's only winery — a Franco-Italian joint venture in Maremma.
Rocca di Frassinello is a landmark joint venture launched in 1999 and inaugurated in 2007 between Castellare di Castellina (owned by publisher Paolo Panerai) and Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite), led by Baron Eric de Rothschild. Located in the municipality of Gavorrano, in the heart of the Maremma between Bolgheri and Montalcino, the estate is one of the rare Italian-French winemaking partnerships. Its nearly 90 hectares of vineyard are planted equally to Italian varieties (principally Sangiovese) and French varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot), combining Castellare's expertise in native Tuscan grapes with Lafite's classical Bordeaux know-how. The winery building — the only one ever designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Renzo Piano — is a striking, largely underground structure centred on a cavernous barrel-ageing amphitheatre holding 2,500 oak barrels, and is celebrated as one of Italy's 'cathedrals of wine'. The estate's wines fall under the Maremma Toscana DOC, led by the flagship Bordeaux-style blend Rocca di Frassinello and the 100% Merlot cru Baffonero, conceived as a Super Tuscan rival to Masseto.
www.castellare.it/en/rocca-di-frassinello/ ↗Cuvées
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Who Is This For?
Ideal for Super Tuscan collectors and architecture enthusiasts who want to explore how classical Bordeaux technique meets Tuscan terroir.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Who owns Rocca di Frassinello?
- It is a joint venture between Castellare di Castellina, owned by publisher Paolo Panerai, and Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite), led by Baron Eric de Rothschild — launched in 1999 and inaugurated in 2007.
- Who designed the Rocca di Frassinello winery building?
- The winery was designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Renzo Piano — the only winery he has ever designed. It features a largely underground structure centred on a barrel-ageing amphitheatre.
- Where is Rocca di Frassinello located and what appellation does it fall under?
- The estate is in the municipality of Gavorrano, province of Grosseto, in the Maremma area of coastal Tuscany, between Bolgheri and Montalcino. Its wines are produced under the Maremma Toscana DOC.
- What is Baffonero?
- Baffonero is Rocca di Frassinello's flagship wine, a 100% Merlot from a dedicated clay-soil vineyard, created as a Super Tuscan answer to Masseto and considered one of Italy's finest Merlots.
- What grape varieties does Rocca di Frassinello grow?
- The roughly 90-hectare vineyard is split evenly between Italian varieties (mainly Sangiovese) and French varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot), reflecting the estate's Franco-Italian partnership.