About this wine
Vineyard and terroir
The Merlot comes from the 12 ha Lamaione vineyard at Tenuta CastelGiocondo, at an altitude of 300 m. Planted in 1976, the vineyard has a south-westerly exposure and clay soils rich in limestone and minerals.
Vinification
The grapes are harvested by hand at optimal ripeness and transported in small crates. At the winery, they are sorted and destemmed. Fermentation takes place in stainless-steel tanks at temperatures no higher than 30 °C, followed by maceration and malolactic fermentation.
Ageing
The wine matures for 21 months in French oak barrels, 80% of which are new barriques, followed by 12 months in bottle.
Vintage notes
The 2020 season began with relatively little winter rainfall, following the replenishment of water reserves in the final months of 2019. These reserves helped the vines through the peak summer temperatures between June and August. Budbreak began in the final days of March. Flowering started in the second half of May and proceeded evenly in hot, dry and slightly breezy conditions. Dry weather continued through harvest, allowing healthy, fully ripe grapes with good structure to reach the winery.
