Questo vino
Vineyard and terroir
The fruit comes from 30-year-old vines on a south-facing hillside with marl soils. The local microclimate is influenced by warm air from the nearby Adriatic meeting cool air from the Alps on the slopes of Capriva del Friuli. The estate covers approximately 94 hectares, of which 40 hectares are vineyards, planted at densities of 4,500–7,000 vines per hectare to promote concentration.
Vinification
The grapes are harvested at the end of September and gently destemmed. Fermentation is followed by 20 days of maceration.
Ageing
The wine matures for 20–24 months in small oak barrels, followed by approximately 10 months in bottle.
Tasting profile
Rich and intense.
Label / history
Approximately 7,000 bottles are produced each year. The wine is named in honour of the estate's founder, the French count Théodore de La Tour. In 1869, he settled with his wife in the sunlit hills of Collio, where he pursued viticulture using modern methods that had proved successful in France. He identified the value of the local microclimate, planted varieties suited to it and built a high-vaulted cellar entirely underground.
The estate later passed to Villa Russiz. After the count's death in 1894, Elvine Ritter von Zahony dedicated herself to helping orphans, converting one of its buildings into a children's home and institute that was formally recognized as a legal organization and remains in operation. Under her will, Villa Russiz became a charitable nonprofit organization.
