Casa Freschi dinner at Pilu at Freshwater, Sydney, overall winner of the 2011 Australia's Wine List Of The Year Awards

On 9 November 2011, close to 100 guests were treated to a wonderful night of exquisite food and Casa Freschi wines at Pilu restaurant. Pilu received a two-star rating at the 2011 Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Awards and was the overall winner of the 2011 Australia's Wine List Awards. The event was co-sponsored by Lavazza. Nick Stock, one of Australia's most highly regarded wine commentators and MC for the night, commented on the exquisite quality of the wine and food and highlighted the strong similarities between Pilu's and Casa Freschi's philosophy stemming from their Italian heritage...i.e. both strongly Australian reflecting the energy and beauty of where the produce is grown...Pilu only sourcing fresh, seasonal and regional produce, and Casa Freschi only producing single vineyard wines.

L-R; Giovanni Pilu (Owner/Chef Pilu restaurant) David Freschi (Owner/Winemaker Casa Freschi) Nick Stock (highly regarded wine commentator)

Casa Freschi La Signora Nebbiolo 2007 " a fragrant bouquet of tea, rose petal, spice and tar is followed by a richer, verging on sumptuous, palate before a savoury finish completes the circle." 94/100, Drink by 2020, James Halliday Wine Companion 2012

Casa Freschi Ragazzi Pinot Grigio 2011 "A startling pinot grigio from Mt Lofty in the Adelaide Hills....The grapes are grown on a single, low-yielding vineyard near Mt Lofty (560-580m), and were whole-bunch pressed, then fermented in old French oak barriques. 27% going through mlf. Even with that mlf, the wine is bracing and cleansing, its pear and grapefruit flavours backed by pronounced acidity. A grigio loaded with personality." 94/100, Drink by 2015, James Halliday, 10 Sep 2012

Casa Freschi La Signorina 2010 "This Adelaide Hills white is blended using riesling, gewurztraminer, chardonnay and pinot grigio all sourced from a single steeply sloped vineyard at Mt Lofty in the Adelaide Hills. It's remininscent of some northen Italian blended whites showing richness and intensity with handy balance and a crisp appeal. Lychees, rosewater and peachy stonefruits on the nose, the palate also adds some pears and gently savoury cashew nut complexity to close." 93/100 Nick Stock, Good Australian Wine Guide 2012

Casa Freschi Ragazzi Pinot Grigio 2010 "There's a sense of the right grapes growing in the right place in the first instance here, pears, green apple and a hint of citrus here. The palate is smooth and crisp, some savoury malty complexity runs through tangy pear and melon flavours. Nice crisp finish." 92/100 Nick Stock, Good Australian Wine Guide 2012

Casa Freschi La Signorina 2010 "You don't just take a few glugs of whatever varieties are to hand and cobble them together. Well you can, but the chances of getting a white wine of this intrigue and complexity are pretty low. Here instead, it's clear David Freschi has a plan and some inspiration and benchmarks in mind as he weaves varying proportions of Pinot Gris, Riesling, Chardonnay and the spicy Gewurztraminer together. This wine is inspired by white blends from Italy's cold far north east, which are often its most prized and expensive whites. This is powerful, yet so subtle and it's a joy to have to look for and then find the fleeting and recurring characters of melon, orange peel, lemon flower, rosewater, lychee, minerals and more in such a vivacious persona. Perhaps like great perfume, the intrigue and discovery is in the game." David Ridge, The Adelaide Review, Sep 2 2011.

Casa Freschi Ragazzi Pinot Grigio 2011 "Based on vineyards in the Adelaide Hills, this very young pinot grigio is a cut above most, with a complex thread derived from old oak barrels enhancing its savoury qualities and textural interest. Appetising pear, light hazelnut and minerally characters, clean flavours and a lingering, dry finish make it an appealing drop." 4.5 stars Ralph Kyte-Powell, The Age Epicure, 2 Aug 2011.

Casa Freschi La Signorina 2010 "A white blend from a steeply sloped Mt Lofty vineyard. Lychees, rose water and stone fruits on the nose, the palate adds some pears with gently savoury cashew nut complexity to close." 93/100 Nick Stock, WBM June 2011.

Casa Freschi La Signora 2004, Langhorne Creek Nebbiolo $40 "A wine with a serious future. This Langhorne Creek cracker has dense tarry notes, from nebbiolo, with licorice and earth touches. Great length and a supple texture, it finishes with velvety tannins." 94/100 Top 5 wines of the week. Ken Gargett, Spitbucket.com 28 Apr 2011.

Casa Freschi Ragazzi Nebbiolo 2010, Langhorne Creek $25 "Born into a winemaking family, David Freschi roved the world, making wine in New Zealand and Italy before taking over Casa Freschi after his father Attilio's death in 1997. David is increasingly focussing on Italian varieties, with this pure nebbiolo made for early drinking. It has perfumes of ripe raspberry and cherry, a hint of licorice, dired herbs, faded rose petals and violets. The palate is fresh and lively with layers of cherry and berry fruit flavours, supported by full, fine, cleansing tannins and vibrant acidity." Peter Bourne, Best buy wines, AGT Wine Magazine April/May 2011.

Casa Freschi Ragazzi Pinot Grigio 2010, Adelaide Hills $24 "Smoky, toasty, nutty barrel and reductive characters, with a soft, rich, well-rounded palate. This is pinot grigio with an extra dimension. It has abundant character, persistence and more interest than most of its peers" Drink for next 3 years 90/100 Huon Hooke, 100 top new releases, AGT Wine magazine April/May 2011.

Casa Freschi La Signora Nebbiolo 2006, Langhorne Creek SA $40 "Packing no shortage of varietal character, expect a nose stacked high with smells of leather, licorice, prunes and spiced black cherry. The palate is rich and well fruited with plenty of tar and cherry-like flavour coupled with firm chalky tannins and a bitter drying finish. Drink it with five-spice duck." Matt Skinner, Uncorked, The Sunday Age Magazine, April 3, 2011.

Casa Freschi La Signora 2005 $40 "First class effort, dominated by nebbiolo, this is a silky, complex, elegant style with promise. Offers florals, spice, tobacco notes and blackberry. Deceptive colour and finely balanced." 93/100 pts, Ken Gargett, www.spitbucket.com, April 2011

Casa Freschi Ragazzi Nebbiolo 2010, Langhorne Creek SA $23 "Here's a welcome addition to Australia's Club Neb - this one affordably priced. It comes out of the Casa Freschi stable in Langhorne Creek. It's raw and edgy but I didn't have a lot of trouble coming around to this wine's way of thinking. It tastes of tar and cherries, mineral and spice and it's got a just-fermented youthfulness to it. Its tannin is rugged but ripe and while it's very light in colour, it's got presence and power. The wine's chewy grip is a big part of that 'presence' - but it is a nebbiolo. It's an uncompromising style - which is why I like it." Drink 2011-2015, 89/100 , Campbell Mattinson, Winefront Mar 10, 2011.

Casa Freschi Ragazzi Nebbiolo 2010, Langhorne Creek SA $23 "David Freschi has been making fairly robust and long-lived nebbiolo for a few years; this is his first attempt at a younger-drinking, fruitier style and it's a cracker: spicy, minty cherry aromas, lovely snappy tannins." Max Allen, Australian Gourmet Traveller Magazine, March 2011

Casa Freschi Ragazzi Nebbiolo 2010, Langhorne Creek SA $25 "Smells young and fleshy pippy, with a touch of dried oregano. A lick of rose also. Has flesh and easiness in the mouth, and a kind of fudgy thing about it. The tannins are firm but yield, and are backed by gentle raspberry and pippy flavours. This has some character and creeps up on you. One for earthy fish if you feel inclined." 90/100 Tim White, The Australian Financial Review, Nov 26-28 2010.

Casa Freschi Ragazzi Pinot Grigio 2010 "Bright green-straw, the colour enhanced by fermentation and short maturation in used barriques; has good tangy length and freshness to the palate." 89/100 tasted 11/11/10 Drink by 2013, James Halliday Wine Companion 2012

Casa Freschi La Signorina 2010 "When Alsace meets Burgundy... A single vineyard blend of Pinot Gris/Chardonnay/Riesling/Gewurztraminer from on a steep, rocky slope on the side of Mt Lofty at an altitude of over 500m; there is plenty happening in the glass, and the wine will grow in stature over the next few years, sustained by its acidity." 89/100 tasted 23/12/10 Drink by 2014, James Halliday Wine Companion 2012

Casa Freschi La Signorina 2009, Adelaide Hills $29 "An amalgam of pinot gris, chardonnay, riesling and gewurztraminer, this smells of tangelo and ripe mandarin with nutty savoury French oak derived complexity - quite striking. The palate follows suit with tangelo and grilled cashew flavour - quite pithy and concentrated." Drink now 92/100 Nick Stock, Penguin Good Australian Wine Guide 2011.

Casa Freschi Ragazzi Pinot Grigio 2010, Adelaide Hills SA $25 "Packed with personality and hailing from the cool of South Australia's Adelaide Hills, this has plenty of upfront stone and tropical fruit on both the nose and palate, while lovely texture in the mouth and moreish acidity will almost certainly see you reaching for refills. Drink it with fresh figs and proscuitto." Matt Skinner, Uncorked, Sun Herald, Nov 21, 2010.

The future makers, Australian wines for the 21st century, Max Allen (Hardie Grant, Oct 2010)

Casa Freschi - Because of the flamboyant Italian flavour of the names he's given his red wines - La Signora, Profondo - you expect David Freschi to be a gregarious showman revelling in his cultural heritage. So it's a surprise to find a softly spoken, calm and humble winemaker pottering around in the tiny barrel cellar at Casa Freschi. There's no showiness here at all.

David's parents, Attilio and Rosa, came to Australia from the Veneto in 1954. They moved from their market garden in Adelaide to Langhorne Creek in the 1960's, settling on the current property where they planted a small, 2 hectare vineyard to cabernet, shiraz and malbec, in 1972. Attilio Freschi brought an Italian perpective to growing vines and making wine that must have seemed a little strange to others in the region at the time. Sourcing his cuttings from the oldest vines on the Potts family vineyard, he was one of the first to plant away from the river, where water was less reliable (and less important to someone chasing quality rather than excess tonnage), and he dedicated the worst, the hardest soil to the vineyard, so the plants could struggle a bit. And although the Freschi's sold most of their fruit to Penfolds and Seppelt, Attilio was much more interested in making red wine for family and friends in the little cellar he built under the shed.

The young David Freschi was working at Corbans winery in New Zealand in the late-90's when his father died, and he decided to move back home and establish a new label from the estate-grown fruit. Vintage experience in Italy also inspired David to plant the most capricious and stubborn of red grapes, nebbiolo; so from 1999 onwards another 2 hectares comprising 10 clones of the variety have been established. David's approach to growing grapes differs from his dad's; Attilio would aim for around 3 to 4 tonnes per acre (the regional average was around six) whereas his son is happy with one. And while the original 1972 vines are planted in sandy soils over deep clay and limestone gravel on a traditional wide-spacing of 1600 vines per hectare, the newer nebbiolo vines are 4000 vines per hectare. Not surprisingly, given the soils, vine density and yields, David Freschi's reds - La Signora (the nebbiolo-based wine) and Profondo (made from the older cabernet and shiraz vines) - are tightly structured, intensely flavoured and deeply savoury, in many ways unlike the soft, generous, open reds you might find elsewhere in Langhorne Creek. But they still have that lifted mint and dried herbs so characteristic of the region.

In 2004, David established a 4-hectare, dry-grown white wine vineyard 560 meters up in the Adelaide Hills near Mount Lofty. On the rubbly quartz, shale and sandstone slopes, he's close planted (at 8000 vines per hectare) 13 clones of chardonnay, pinot gris, gewurztraminer and riesling, and like the Langhorne Creek property he manages the vineyard virtually organically, without any synthetic fertiliser, pesticide or fungicide. The winemaking philosophy with the whites is similar to the reds; do as little as possible, and let the fruit speak for itself. The result is two sensational wines; La Signorina blends the pinot grigio, chardonnay, riesling and gewurztraminer grapes to produce a really pretty white, with lifted citrus perfume and a rich, grapey-sweet, pineapple tang on the tongue; while the Altezza chardonnay (whole-bunch pressed straight into barrel, wild yeast ferment, 18 months on lees, no fining, no filtration) is a fabulously textural white, with savoury, nutty, creamy complexity. They make a perfect pair to balance the two Langhorne reds.

4&25 October 2010, 2009 La Signorina featured in 3ormore international masterclass/tasting at Longrain Melbourne & Sydney. The 3ormore Masterclass and Trade Tastings showcase an emerging wine category – multiple varietal aromatic white blends. Austrian winemakers call them ‘Gemischte Satz’ meaning ‘mixed plantings’ or literally translated – a mixed sentence. In Alsace they are known as ‘Edelzwicker’, while others call these three-plus varietal white blends ‘Field Blends’ or ‘Super Whites.’ Whatever the denomination, these textural, aromatic, food-friendly white styles that originate in Austria, Germany, the Rhône and northern Italy are inspiring Australian (and some Kiwi) winemakers to explore the idea that there is more to life than straight mono-varietal white wines, or classic dual semillon sauvignon blanc blends. Sam Christie, proprietor of Longrain restaurants, and several of Australia’s 3ormore winemakers have combined to celebrate and explore this enticing wine category that is remarkably well- suited to both Asian and contemporary Australian cuisine. This first-ever trade showcase features wines from various regions of Australia, France, Italy and New Zealand.

28 September 2010, Ragazzi Launch at Grossi Florentino, Melbourne. The launch of two new Casa Freschi wines, 2010 Ragazzi Adelaide Hills Pinot Grigio and 2010 Ragazzi Langhorne Creek Nebbiolo was recently hosted by Grossi Florentino. Special guests were treated to a delicious menu, including Cape Grim Tasmanian aged Rib Steak, Crumbed Lamb Cutlets with Goats Cheese Salmoriglio, and Roast Pumpkin Tortellini.

"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." Ken Gargett, Cellar notes, QWeekend Brisbane Courier Mail, 26 June 2010.

2009 Casa Freschi La Signorina "The original fruit salad and puppy dogs' tails wine, but is remarkably fresh and tangy, citrus characters emerging on top of a pile of other flavours." 4.5 glasses, 90pts Drink to 2012. James Halliday Wine Companion 2011.

2006 Casa Freschi Profondo "Slightly opaque colour; a complex Crosshatch of varietal and regional inputs, bitter chocolate, herbs and spices running through the main agenda of black fruits. Is developing slowly; high-quality cork is slightly reassuring." 4.5 glasses, 92pts Drink to 2016. James Halliday Wine Companion 2011.

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 & Penguin Good Australian Wine Guide 2010.

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.

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 andpresence. 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.

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.