Band of brothers

My referring to Grover Zampa as being “now way ahead of relative newcomer Fratelli” in my last column does not seems to have gone down well with the latter, for I promptly got a call from a senior Fratelli executive protesting at this characterisation.

To set the record straight: Grover launched its wines in 1991, Sula in end 1999, and Fratelli in 2010-11, so there’s no doubt that the latter are “relative newcomers”. Moreover, with the acquisition of Four Seasons and Charosa Vineyards the total winemaking capacity of Grover Zampa now exceeds that of Fratelli.

Which in no way takes away any part of the remarkable Fratelli story: of a partnership between three pairs of brothers (two Sekhri brothers from Delhi, two Secci brothers from Italy, and two Mohite-Patil brothers from Maharashtra) and winemaker Piero Masi; of five-plus years of backbreaking work in terraforming 240 barren acres near Akluj village in Maharashtra into verdant vineyards and setting up a world-class winery in the vicinity; and of the hard slog and team-building (and investments) required to enter each state market across India and build the brand.

Fratelli now has wider distribution and higher market share in key markets across India (than Grover Zampa), and has also been at the cutting edge of wine quality and innovation: its J’Noon red wine is the result of a personal collaboration between Kapil Sekhri and Jean-Charles Boisset, and at an MRP of Rs 4,000 (in Karnataka) is the most expensive Indian wine as of date. Following the tradition of most French wines, J’Noon does not name the grapes on the bottle, but the website (www.fratelliwines.in) indicates that the 2017 vintage comprises 66 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon, 29 per cent Petit Verdot/ Marcelan and 5 per cent Cabernet Franc — a very Bordeaux-style blend.

Prior to that Fratelli had come out with the M/S range of wines, the result of a collaboration between winemaker Piero Masi (“M”) and renown wine expert Steven Spurrier (“S”): the red an innovative Sangiovese/Cabernet Franc/ Shiraz blend; the white a Chardonnay/ Sauvignon Blanc blend; and the Rosé made uniquely from Sangiovese — all priced at an affordable Rs 1,250 per bottle in Bengaluru.

Wine

Then there is Sette (means “seven” in Italian — the company has seven partners), a Sangiovese-Cabernet blend, matured for 14 months in oak barrels, that had redefined the quality of Indian wines when they launched the 2009 vintage some years ago. Currently priced at Rs 2,000 in Bengaluru for the 2013 vintage, the wine is complex and full-bodied and must be tried against imports at twice the price to appreciate its quality.

Fratelli has also ventured into importing wines from France, Italy, USA and South Africa to round off its product portfolio and cater to the eclectic Indian consumer. Having created a pipeline, adding products to push through only requires investments in working capital.

Lastly, their association with the Boisset Collection (as that company is named) would no doubt enable them to foray into exporting some of their wines overseas, particularly France and USA where the former has most of their wineries.

So okay, Fratelli has a unique story and makes some terrific wines, and has come from nowhere to become one of the top three wine companies in India in less than 10 years — no mean achievement.

Wines I’ve been drinking: The complimentary bottle of J’Noon Red 2016 was duly chilled and decanted for one hour before sharing with friends and family. The heavy glass bottle (1.25 kg!) and carton packing shout “premium” even before opening the cork closure. The wine itself (a classic Bordeaux blend) is a very dark red, with complex aromas of red fruits and notes of wood and oak (spearmint, graphite, cedar, tobacco) and a full-bodied mouthfeel and lingering finish. Yum!

Alok Chandra is a Bengaluru-based wine consultant