"Winemakers can take as much care with blends as they do with any other wine. Much thought goes into what's paired with what, and why...Not all combinations succeed. Here are four [white blends] that do....Casa Freschi La Signorina 2009 Punchy aromatics in this Adelaide Hills blend of pinot grigio, riesling, chardy and gewurztraminer.. Flavours of spice, citrus, and pears, backed by lemony acidity." [88pts] Ken Gargett, Cellar notes, QWeekend Brisbane Courier Mail, 26 June 2010.

Inspired by Friuli, made in Australia "The excitement and energy emanating from Friuli has attracted interest from Australian winegrowers who are looking for new grape varieties, styles or philosophies...These are fascinating, rule-breaking, texturally satisfying and just plain delicious white wines and I'd love to see more like them in Australia." 2009 Casa Freschi La Signorina "A pretty blend of pinot grigio, chardonnay, riesling and gewurztraminer, with lifted citrus perfume and a fine, grapy-sweet, pineapple tang on the tongue." Max Allen, Australian Gourmet Traveller, May 2010

Great Australian Nebbiolo Casa Freschi Langhorne Creek "..among the most exciting reds being made at the moment" Nick Stock, Sumptuous Magazine April/May 2010

Casa Freschi La Signorina 2009 "I notice that I pulled out the old 'future of Australian white wine' tag in writing about last year's release of Casa Freschi La Signorina. It's a blend of pinot grigio, chardonnay, riesling, and gewurztraminer, all grown at altitude in the Adelaide Hills, and all picked from a single vineyard. Deliciously floral and fragrant and, simply, attractive. It tastes of melons and rosewater, limes and fennel and is both crisp and textural. The finish is satisfying, if not particularly persistent, and the aftertaste is distinctly spicy. Fun to smell and fun to drink." 90pts, Campbell Mattinson, Winefront, Feb 2010.

Casa Freschi Profondo 2006 "A blend of 53% cabernet sauvignon, 35% shiraz and 12% malbec, the Profondo is a marvellous mix of aromas and flavours which combine for an experience in fine wine that can best be described as "grand"." Ross Noble, Adelaide Hills Courier Jan 2010

Casa Freschi La Signora 2005 "Seductive..comprising 85% nebbiolo - a black grape from NW Italy - it is complemented by 9% cabernet sauvignon, 5% shiraz and 1% malbec. Sexy and satisfying" Ross Noble, Adelaide Hills Courier Jan 2010

Casa Freschi Altezza Chardonnay 2007 "This stylish cool-site wine offers melon and stone fruits with f;inty and mealy savoury complexity. The palate builds in layered formation with cool melon fruit, oak spice and a balanced, convincing shape." Nick Stock, Adelaide Hills Magazine, Summer 2010

Casa Freschi Altezza Chardonnay 2007 "Casa Freschi’s wines are almost always good-to-excellent. It’s only really the asking prices that prevent them from being a crowd favourite. Very good chardonnay. It's a melony, mealy wine with some alcohol warmth to the finish - though it does not get in the way of the flavours. It has a beautiful waxiness to it and a sense of "layers" to the flavours. Nicely handled in all respects." 91 pts, Drink 2010 - 2013, Campbell Mattinson, Winefront Jan 2010

Casa Freschi Altezza Chardonnay 2007 "Quite a stylish cool site Chardonnay with a flinty character, some melon, stone fruits and a mealy complexity to it. The palate has layered complex structure, the same cool melon fruit appears here with cashew and oak-derived spice flavours. Compact and stylish" 92 pts. Nick Stock, Wine100, October 2009

Casa Freschi Best wineries Langhorne Creek and Adelaide Hills + Casa Freschi Profondo 1999 Top 100 wines. Robert Geddes MW, Australian Wine Vintages 2010

"Casa Freschi think outside the square, making tiny quantities of intriguing high-quality wines. Owner and trained winemaker David Freschi draws from Langhorne Creek and the Adelaide Hills near Mt Lofty. This vineyard planted at high density and high altitude brings intensity without heaviness to the white wines. 2008 Casa Freschi La Signorina - Sweet fruit aromas, richly textured, yet fine acids lurk in the finish. A subtle wine with a lovely spicy apple and citrus fruit generosity. 4 stars - 88 pts. 2007 Casa Freschi Altezza Tiny yields per vine and high density and altitude bring grapefruit, lime and pineapple; skilled winemaking brings intensity without heaviness with freshness. 4 stars - 92 pts. 2005 Casa Freschi La Signora Medium-bodied interplay sweeter French and savoury Italian fruit that is juicy yet tart, berry fruited and savoury. 5 stars - 90 pts 2005 Casa Freschi Profondo Careful winemaking gives generous flavour and velvety tannins. Cabernet is dominant in the cool years and shiraz in the warm years. 5 stars - 94pts. Robert Geddes MW, Australian Wine Vintages 2010.

Casa Freschi Profondo 2005 "Medium to full bodied; looks firmly towards Bordeaux, with earthy cedary overtones to the complex array of fruit flavours, which range from quite sweet to distinctly savoury. Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz/Malbec." 93 pts. Drink to 2018 James Halliday Wine Companion 2010

Casa Freschi La Signora 2005 "Elegant, medium-bodied wine with spicy/savoury elements driving the blend of Nebbiolo (85%)/Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz/Malbec; the seemingly small components other than nebbiolo in fact build the mouthfeel. One of the best nebbiolos (it could have been labelled as such) on the market." 93 pts. Drink to 2015 James Halliday Wine Companion 2010

Casa Freschi La Signorina 2008 "A blend of Pinot Gris/Chardonnay/Riesling/Gewurztraminer, resulting in a wiine that is all about texture; light and bright on the palate, there is a slippery nature to the finish that is easy and non-challenging." 88 pts. Drink to 2014 James Halliday Wine Companion 2010

Casa Freschi La Signorina 2008 "Some folks would suggest that this is the future of Australian white wine - or at least, of Australian riesling. I've had a few people say to me recently that it's time for riesling to be blended with other varieties, and this wine - a blend of pinot gris, riesling, chardonnay and gewurztraminer - is an excellent pointer to the kind of wine you can end up with. Mind, this wine was grown on a densely planted vineyard (8000 vines per hectare) at 580 metres above sea level, the vines hand pruned and the grapes hand picked. It had a short spell in (French) oak and was bottled unfined. It is by no means a bog-standard offering. The wine tastes exotic, that's for sure. There's lots of spicy, apple-like, rosewater-infused perfume and an excellent hit of spicy, citrussy flavour. It's a wine where each of the varieties seems to be making a noticeable, and positive contribution. It's grippy and pulpy through the finish and although I'm guessing that it's not sweet, it carries a sense of sweetness. Intriguing from go to whoa". 91 pts Drink 2009-2010. Campbell Mattinson, Winefront, Jan '09

Top 40 summer whites - 2008 Casa Freschi La Signorina $29. "This is David Freschi's first release of this exotic blend of pinot grigio, chardonnay, riesling and gewurztraminer from a single vineyard in the Adelaide Hills. Highly aromatic, it's silky textured with subtle fruit flavours and crisp acidity " Sally Gudgeon, Qantas Magazine, Dec '08.

Top drops of the month - 2008 Casa Freschi La Signorina, Adelaide Hills, SA $29. "A blend of chardonnay, pinot grigio, riesling and gewurztraminer from a Hills vineyard owned by Langhorne Creek-based winemaker David Freschi. It's sweet and tangy, with a lovely citrus perfume." Max Allen, Australian Gourmet Traveller Magazine, Dec '08.

Wine fom the Vault "Taking elegance to the next level with his Friulian-type blend from the Adelaide Hills is David Freschi's Casa Freschi La Signorina. It's a single vineyard wine, blending Pinot Grigio (43%), Chardonnay (42%), Riesling (11%) and Gewurztraminer (4%) with over half of it barrel fermented. This wine not the sum of its parts; it shows that indefinable Old World character of seamlessness and entirety in itself. The La Signorina is the perfect wine at that next level of complexity and quality for summer. Freschi has made a name for himself for producing Old World-styled wines in a country interested in varietal wine. He is interested in expression of the site and vintage more than of varietal character and his wines show it. His Langhorne Creek vineyard wines, La Signora and Profondo are must-haves for a long-term cellar collection. He has only one varietal wine right now, the Altezza Chardonnay also from the Adelaide Hills vineyard. All are superb, but it's the La Signorina that works in this heat." Casa Freschi La Signorina 2008 The nose of this wine opens slowly, starting with hints of rosewater and grapefruit and blooming a few minutes later with a melange of pears, peaches, lime zest and apples. On the palate the texture and acidity are as much interest as the characters of peaches and minerals. Crisp, clean finish. A very elegant wine that blossoms as it warms up in the glass. Peter Rogers, Life Gold Coast Magazine, Nov '08.

"It is now officially a trend. Since I wrote about the deliciously textured, full-flavoured whites from T'Gallant and Kathleen Quealy last month, I've tasted another two equally adventurous bottlings modelled on the way-out blended wines found in Friuli, in Italy's northeast..........Langhorne Creek-based winemaker David Freschi has joined the faux-Friulian fray with a characterful 2008 white he calls La Signorina ($29). A blend of pinot grigio, chardonnay, riesling and gewurztraminer grapes from a dry-grown vineyard Freschi owns in the Adelaide Hills, La Signorina is a really pretty white wine, with lifted citrus perfume and a rich, grapey-sweet pineapple tang on the tongue. Freschi has also released a 2007 chardonnay from the same high-altitude vineyard called Altezza ($45). Minimal intervention winemaking (whole bunches of grapes pressed straight into barrel, wild yeast ferment, no filtration) has resulted in a fabulously textural white, with savoury, nutty, creamy complexity." Max Allen, The Weekend Australian Magazine, Oct '08.

2004 Casa Freschi La Signora ($40) - 92 points "A unique blend that's built on nebbiolo and cabernet sauvignon, there's a little shiraz and a tiny bit of malbec here too. It has a fresh leafy aroma and some sweet licquorice - herbal and intriguing. It swings into medium weight territory on the palate, crisp acidity and fine juicy tannins hold it tight, rose petals to close." Nick Stock, the penguin good australian wine guide 2009.

Highly Recommended "David Freschi at Casa Freschi is making two exciting wines from his family vineyard, especially a rare Nebbiolo/Cabernet blend called La Signora, which is tighly structured and elegant. Their Adelaide Hills vineyard is about to come on-line". Clive Hartley, The Australian Wine Guide 2008 Top 20 winter reds

Casa Freschi La Signora 2004 ($40) - 94 points "A cracker blend from Langhorne Creek, SA. Dense tarry notes from the dominant nebbiolo, with licquorice and earth touches. Great length and supple texture, finishes with velvety tannins." Ken Gargett, Q-weekend, The Brisbane Courier Mail, Jul '08.

Profound "Langhorne Creek winemaker David Freschi says his Profondo red blend is released only when up to exceptional quality. The Casa Freschi Profondo Grand Red Wine 2005 meets the criterion and it is indeed a grand wine. Fruit from his old vines are hand tended and chosen from 60% cabernet sauvignon, 33% shiraz and 7% malbec. There is oodles of flavour and plenty of depth to this wine". Ross Noble, Adelaide Hills Courier, Jun '08.

Cabernet meets Mediterranean is the new wave "Cabernet, the Bordeaux specialist , is a perfect partner with Spain's tempranillo and Italian grapes such as barbera, sangiovese and nebbiolo...David Freschi at Langhorne Creek brought out his La Signora blend of nebbiolo, cabernet, shiraz and malbec because he wanted a temporary crutch for his immature nebbiolo. But La Signora has found its own fans and he plans to make a straight nebbiolo as well as continuing the blend....The start of a beautiful friendship - 2004 Casa Freschi La Signora; An upfront powerhouse of ripe, rich fruit and tannin." Jeni Port, Epicure, The Melbourne Age, May '08.

2005 Casa Freschi Profondo - 93+++ pts "It's profound indeed, this cabernet/shiraz/malbec from 600kg of drought-ridden grapes per acre on the clay, sand and gravelly limestone of our troubled lakeside. It could only come from Australia. Its sharp, acrid edge of carbide and carbon leads to bright, vibrant fruit of great style and presence. Creme de cassis (blackcurrant liqueur) and soft marshmallow flesh simmer away til the droughty sand-and-velvet tannins of cabernet and malbec take over. It's made without synthetic sprays. While it really needs five or six years in the dungeon, it's very impressive now, with juicy roast lamb, or roast quail with pine nuts and shiitake." Philip White, The Independent Weekly, May '08.

2004 Casa Freschi La Signora - 93++pts "Nebbiolo, cabernet sauvignon, shiraz and malbec make up this ravishing, raven beauty from dahn the crik [Langhorne Creek]. Bright, lively prune, raspberry and copocollo charcuterie are its initial beguilings, and those healthy, clean fleshy bits loll on while a gentle spine of racy acidity takes over. It's supple, and very fine. The normally coarse tannins of the Italian nebbi have been softened by long skin maceration, wild yeast, and those Bordeaux varieties. Yet it's still obvious that nebbiolo: it's provided those raspberries, and the remaining satin and velvet tannin. Insalata di carne cruda with porcini mushromms, please." Philip White, The Independent Weekly, Apr '08.

2005 Casa Freschi Profondo - 93 pts "This is a blend of cabernet sauvignon (60%), shiraz (35%), and malbec. It's full of super-ripe blackcurrant flavour, though there's also the odd flash of corn, cedar, earth and leather. Personally I love the profile of this, though it's probably a polarising style. It tastes silken and luscious and is terrifically satisfying. Lovely fruit-filled, complex length. Drink 2010-2016. 93 points." Campbell Mattinson, Winefront, Apr '08.

2004 Casa Freschi La Signora - 94 pts "This is a blend of nebbiolo (44%), cabernet sauvignon (44%), shiraz (10%) and malbec (2%). At four years of age it's just starting to soften and develop, though its peak drinking window won't open for another couple of years. It tastes of blackcurrant and dried tobacco, hazelnuts and leather, and while it has spent 18 months in French oak there is no obvious oak flavours. In short, this is a seamless, statuesque wine of interest and class. Drink: 2010-2016." Campbell Mattinson, Winefront, Apr '08.

2004 Casa Freschi La Signora - 93 pts "A truly intriguing array of aromas, even more so the flavours; sour black cherries, anise, leather and spice, held together by a firm stucture not common in Langhorne Creek. The wine could easily be identified (mistakenly, of course) as an Italian in a blind judging, which is no doubt what David Freschi wishes to hear. Drink to 2029." James Halliday Wine Companion 2008.

La Signora served on Qantas First Class International Flights in 2008 ; The 2002 Casa Freschi La Signora will be served on Qantas first class international flights. Qantas wines are selected after rigorous tastings by a panel of experts with the goal to showcase the very best of Australian wine.