Questo vino
Vineyard and terroir
The vineyards lie on steep slopes in the Valdobbiadene area at 300–400 metres above sea level. The soils contain clay and sand with small fragments of silex, a siliceous rock. The vines are 50–90 years old.
Fertility is maintained with manure and compost produced from vine prunings, leaves, grasses, stems and grape pomace. Green manure is applied only when strictly necessary. Copper, sulfur, propolis and pyrethrum are likewise used only as needed to protect the vines.
Grapes
The blend is predominantly Glera, with small proportions of Verdiso, Perera and Bianchetta.
Vinification
The grapes are harvested by hand into small crates, carefully sorted on a sorting table and destemmed. After crushing, the must moves by gravity into cement tanks and remains on the skins for two days, with periodic pumping over. Alcoholic and malolactic fermentation start spontaneously.
The wine remains on its lees through winter and is racked only when necessary, during the waning moon. Clarification and stabilization occur naturally. In March or April, during the first-quarter waxing moon, it is bottled by gravity without clarification or filtration. A second fermentation takes place in the bottle, forming a sediment known as fondo. After disgorgement, no dosage liqueur is added.
Ageing
The wine matures in bottle for 14–18 months. During this period, Marika Zago regularly turns every bottle by hand.
