About this wine
Vineyard and terroir
The wine comes from three certified-organic Pinot Nero vineyards on the Belvedere estate in Iseo, on hillsides south of Lake Iseo at 466 metres above sea level. For the 2016 vintage, the vines averaged 26 years of age. Yield was 7,200 kg/ha, equivalent to 3,100 litres of wine per hectare and a 43% grape-to-wine yield.
Grapes
100% Pinot Nero.
Vinification
The grapes were hand-picked into small crates, taken immediately to the cellar, tracked by vineyard and chilled. Each bunch was selected by hand. Low-pressure pressing kept the dark skins intact so that the juice remained pale or only slightly pink. The resulting musts fermented in small oak barrels and matured there for six months. Six months after harvest, the three vineyard base wines were blended to balance subtlety, tension, body and fragrance.
Disgorgement took place without oxygen using a patented system. No liqueur d’expédition was added. Every bottle received an individual traceability marking.
Ageing
Tirage took place on 21 April 2017. Maturation on the lees lasted 8 years and 5 months. Eight years of ageing are described as necessary for the wine to reach peak quality and develop its characteristic aromatic range.
Technical data
Dosage: no added liqueur, Dosage Zéro. Alcohol: 12.5% vol. pH: 3.06. Total acidity: 6.31 g/L. Volatile acidity: 0.26 g/L. Total sulphur dioxide: below 55 mg/L.
Tasting profile
An undosed blanc de noirs with austerity, tension and expressive precision. Pinot Nero contributes complex red-berry aromas, body, longevity and a persistent palate.
Vintage notes
The winter of 2015–2016 began sunny and drier than average before colder weather arrived in January and February. An early, warm spring encouraged growth, while May rain and prolonged cool conditions slowed vine development and affected flowering. Hot, nearly rainless weather prevailed from late June through July. Storms in early August restored the vines and helped the small crop reach full ripeness. Harvest began on 18 August under favourable conditions.
Label / history
The first vintage was 2001, making Dosage Zéro Noir the fourth wine in the vintage range. Its antecedent was Brut di Pinot Nero, conceived by Maurizio Zanella and André Dubois in 1980 as a Franciacorta made entirely from Pinot Nero. Dosage Zéro Noir later joined the Vintage Collection.
