About this wine
Vineyard and terroir
Didacus Chardonnay comes from selected vines in the Ulmo vineyard at Sambuca di Sicilia (AG), 250 metres above sea level. The original four-hectare Chardonnay vineyard was planted in February 1985. Because the first planting faced an exceptionally hot summer and demanding clay-limestone terrain, some vines were subsequently replanted or regrafted. In 2014, the vines that had established successfully in 1985 were identified and marked, allowing their best bunches to be selected for Didacus.
The 2022 technical sheet identifies clone R8 on 1103 P rootstock. The vines are planted at 2.20 × 1.20 m, equivalent to 3,787 vines per hectare, and trained on an espalier with Guyot pruning. The soil comprises 61.9% clay, 29% loam and 9.1% sand. It is alkaline, with a soil pH of 8.35, and poor in organic matter.
Cultivation follows organic-agriculture criteria and the SOStain® protocol. Clover, vetch, yellow mustard and spontaneous plants provide ground cover intended to increase organic matter and nitrogen and support soil microfauna. Plant health is managed with small quantities of sulphur and copper; useful insects, mating disruption, zeolite, kaolin and plant extracts are used against pests.
Grapes
100% Chardonnay. In 2022, the average incoming must measurement was 20.85 degrees Babo. Yield was 1.129 kg per vine, average bunch weight was 148 g and must yield was approximately 56%.
Vinification
The 2022 grapes were picked by hand into 12 kg bins on 2 September. They spent 12–16 hours in refrigerated storage before hand sorting, during which 9% was discarded. Whole sound grapes then went directly to an 80-quintal pneumatic press. Maceration in the press lasted 3–4 hours at approximately 8.5°C.
The must settled statically for 48 hours at 10°C. Only the clear portion was racked, inoculated with Saccharomyces cerevisiae and transferred to barriques once fermentation had started at 15°C. Fermentation began on 6 September and lasted seven days at 17–19°C in specially selected Remond and Seguin Moreau barriques. Malolactic fermentation was completed to 85%.
Ageing
The 2022 wine remained in barriques for 11 months, until 26 July 2023. The barrels were 60% new and 40% from the 2021 vintage, with medium toast and oak sourced from Nevers, Vosges and Allier. Bâtonnage was carried out weekly for the first six months and every two weeks thereafter. Bottling took place on 3 August 2023.
Technical data
- Vintage: 2022
- Wine pH: 3.37
- Alcohol: 13.6%
- Total acidity: 6.29
- Malic acid: 0.26 g/L
Vintage notes
Autumn and early winter preceding the 2022 vintage were rainy. Winter was moderately cold, while low temperatures persisted through spring, particularly from March to May. Cool soils and the relatively cold spring delayed the beginning of harvest. June, July and August had temperatures in line with recent vintages. Harvest started on 2 September, around 5–7 days later than usual, with healthy grapes and favourable organoleptic quality.
Label / history
Didacus is dedicated to Diego Planeta and embodies a generational transition within the family. His father, Vito, called him Diego in everyday life, Dieguzzo in intimate moments and Didacus when reacting to his youthful misbehaviour. The name was chosen for the wine carrying his vision forward.
The project traces its origins to the four hectares of Chardonnay planted in 1985. Winemaker Carlo Corino joined the work in 1989, helping shape the identity of the Chardonnay produced from the site. The broader Planeta Chardonnay history began with the 1994 vintage; Didacus itself debuted with the 2014 vintage.