Questo vino

Vineyard and terroir

La Serra lies in La Morra at 430 m, with south-western exposure. The vineyard was planted in 1971 at 6,000 vines per hectare and is trained to Guyot. Its Marne di Sant’Agata soils contain clay, very fine sand and calcareous material; the Italian description specifies 55% clay, 30% sand and 15% limestone. Leaf area has been increased relative to bunch quantity over the past three decades. Selection runs through fruit set, véraison and ripening, including four or five manual green harvests to lower the crop and obtain evenly ripened bunches.

Grapes

100% Nebbiolo, Michet variety.

Vinification

Harvest is manual, using small crates to keep the berries intact before crushing. Alcoholic fermentation takes place with an emerged cap in stainless-steel tanks under controlled temperature and oxygenation. The English description gives 14–15 days, while the Italian description gives 15–20 days. Operations following alcoholic fermentation, including bottling in the Italian account, are protected from oxygen with nitrogen, preserving aromas and colour while reducing sulfite use.

Ageing

Malolactic fermentation precedes oak maturation. The English description gives 24–30 months in 500 L French-oak tonneaux, 60% new and 40% second use. The Italian description specifies about 24 months in those tonneaux, followed by six months of blending in 25 hL French-oak casks before bottling.

Technical data

Dry extract: 33.5 g/L.

Tasting profile

Deep ruby red with light amaranth reflections and garnet veins. The intense bouquet combines ripe red fruit, fresh strawberry jam and wild blackberry with a restrained vanilla nuance. Full, smooth and nearly opulent, the palate retains balanced tannins and a long, sweet-toned persistence, with cocoa and overripe-fruit notes. It is structured, powerful and capable of long development.