Questo vino
Vineyard and terroir
The Albana comes from Podere Casetta, where the vineyards face north-west. The vines average 15–20 years of age and yield 50 quintals per hectare (5 tonnes per hectare). The soil is clayey and partly stony.
Grapes
100% Albana di Romagna. The published release is the 2016 vintage.
Vinification
The grapes are late-harvested and naturally dried in a fruit-drying room, with careful monitoring of Botrytis. Following gentle pressing, the must ferments in Allier oak casks in a temperature-controlled environment.
Ageing
Maturation lasts 24 months in Allier oak barriques, followed by a further six months in bottle.
Technical data
Romagna Albana DOCG Passito. The current release is offered in a 0.375-litre bottle. Alcohol is given as 14.5% vol. for the current 2016 release, while the technical sheet gives 14% vol. Ageing potential is 20 years.
Tasting profile
Deep yellow with amber highlights. The intense bouquet brings together broom, peach, apricot, citrus peel, fig and acacia honey, with a light note of toasted hazelnut or chestnut. Sweet, warm and enveloping on the palate, it is full-bodied and powerfully structured, retaining good freshness and closing with a saffron nuance.
Serving and pairing
Serve at 10°C. Pair with rice cake and other dry pastries, chocolate, foie gras or pâté, and blue cheeses.
Label / history
The label symbol depicts the production of Albana Passito: golden circles represent the grape skin, while lines that become progressively narrower evoke the drying process. Podere Casetta marks the estate’s beginnings: in 1964 Umberto Cesari noticed a small vineyard beside an abandoned cottage and decided to establish the winery there. The cottage remains alongside the estate’s Albana and Pignoletto vineyards.
