Questo vino
Vineyard and terroir
The fruit comes exclusively from estate vineyards with vines averaging 25 years of age. The soils are predominantly clay and limestone, with patches of sand.
Grapes
Selected Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are used.
Vinification
The grapes are harvested by hand at optimal ripeness, with Merlot picked in the first week of September and Cabernet Sauvignon in the second week of October. Selection takes place twice: first in the vineyard during harvest and then by hand at the sorting table. The berries are finely crushed and fermented in stainless-steel vats for 15 days at a controlled temperature of 28–30 °C. Maceration lasts 30 days, followed by malolactic fermentation in oak barrels.
Ageing
The wine matures for 18 months in 225 L barriques, followed by a further six months in large Slavonian oak barrels.
Tasting profile
Rich in flavour, with silky tannins.
Vintage notes
The winter of 2011 was cold and rainy. An unusually warm spring encouraged even budbreak, earlier than usual, while temperatures at the beginning of summer were typical for the season. A heat wave began in mid-August and lasted about two weeks, bringing forward the harvest of early-ripening varieties. After 10 September, falling temperatures allowed later-ripening varieties to develop exceptional structure and elegance.
