Questo vino
Vineyard and terroir
The fruit comes from Fondo Cereolo, Monte Tenda and Castello, at 140–290 m above sea level. The estate’s vineyard plots are divided according to soil composition and aspect and have been farmed organically for 20 years.
The area has a fairly mild climate, with warm winters, hot summers and average annual rainfall of 750–850 L/m². Rainfall must be balanced against the limited moisture retention of soils with a low clay content.
Grapes
Corvina Veronese is native to the Verona area. Its vigorous, disease-resistant vines thrive in limestone-rich, stony soils. Corvinone resists winter cold well but is sensitive to disease; on flat, fertile ground its large berries tend to retain water, reducing fruit quality. Rondinella is also native and contributes acidity and tannins to the blend.
Vinification
The grapes are harvested in mid-September, with selection of the best bunches. They dry from September until February in specially equipped lofts with constant humidity monitoring, assisted by air currents from the foothills. During drying they lose an average of 80% of their weight, concentrating the berries and their aromas.
In February, the grapes are crushed and destemmed. Cold maceration lasts 24–26 hours, followed by fermentation with selected yeasts in temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks. About halfway through fermentation, the wine is transferred to new French oak barriques, where fermentation continues slowly until the end of spring. Before bottling, it is clarified and filtered.
Ageing
After fermentation, the wine is racked off the gross lees and returned to the same French oak barriques for 10 months.
Label / history
The name is linked to Raetia, or Rezia, the historical region that extended as far as the Danube. According to the account given, the name developed from Rhaetia or Rezia through Recia to Recioto or Reciotto. In Georgics II, line 95, Virgil asks how Raetica might be adequately praised; comparable praise was otherwise reserved for Falernian wine.
The 2005 vintage received three glasses from Gambero Rosso in 2010 and 91 points from Antonio Galloni in eRobertParker, issue 185, October 2009.
