About this wine
Vineyard and terroir
Pietra Rossa comes from the family-owned Pietra Rossa vineyard in Salarco Alto, within the municipality of Montepulciano. The approximately two-hectare site lies at 350–450 m and has a south-eastern exposure. Its 35-year-old vines grow on Pliocene-origin red clay and are trained to a vertical trellis with spur-pruned cordon at 4,500 vines per hectare.
Grapes
80% Prugnolo Gentile, 10% Canaiolo Nero and 10% Colorino.
Vinification
The grapes are harvested by hand, selected, destemmed and crushed. Selected yeasts initiate alcoholic fermentation in steel and concrete vats. Fermentation and skin maceration last 18–20 days at 26–28°C, accompanied by frequent daily pump-overs. Malolactic fermentation follows in steel vats or oak barrels.
Ageing
The wine matures for 30 months in French and Slavonian oak barrels of 10–15 hL and is racked every six months. It then settles in steel for 3–4 months and ages in bottle for 8–10 months before release.
Technical data
Annual production is approximately 8,000–10,000 bottles.
Tasting profile
A powerful, full and elegant expression with the structural character associated with classic Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.
Vintage notes
The best vintages identified for the preceding 20 years are 2001, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2015 and 2016. Expected maturity is 18–25 years after harvest, with a maturity plateau between 4 and 15 years.
Label / history
Introduced in the mid-1980s, Pietra Rossa was the estate’s first single-vineyard wine.
