Questo vino

Vinification

The grapes are harvested in late September and early October, then dried on bamboo racks until January, losing 35% of their weight and concentrating their sugars. Corvina alone undergoes noble rot caused by botrytis. This drying method dates back to Roman times.

After gentle pressing, the grapes ferment for one and a half months at low temperature in stainless-steel tanks or large Slavonian oak casks. The wine is transferred to smaller barrels for a further 35 days of alcoholic fermentation, followed by malolactic fermentation.

Ageing

The wine matures for 24 months, with 80% aged in Allier oak barrels and 20% in Slavonian oak barrels. Of these barrels, 40% are new, 30% have been used once and 30% twice previously. After bottling, the wine rests for at least four more months in the winery’s cellars.

Vintage notes

The 2018 growing season was long, with slow ripening and a generous, high-quality harvest. Spring was especially wet. The large number of grape clusters required thinning in early July to restore balance. A dry period began that month, interrupted by occasional rainy days.

Heavy rain shortly before harvest caused concern, but the forecast spell of poor weather did not materialize. An Indian summer followed in September, with daytime temperatures reaching 33 °C and nighttime temperatures falling to 15 °C. This diurnal variation allowed the grapes to reach phenolic ripeness during the final ten days of September.