vintage description

In spite of changeable temperatures in spring, bud break and flowering started around the average time for the last years. The damp months of May and June increased the danger of fungus infection. This demanded attention, sensitivity and hard work in the vineyard, and, thanks to intermittent sunny, drying days, this could be compensated for. This was followed by wonderfully dry weeks from the end of August on; in addition, warm days alternated with periodically very cool nights in September and October. This fantastic fall slowed the ripening process, and the harvest started about a week later than average. The maturity window was set perfectly and the harvest brought perfectly healthy grapes with optimum physiologic ripeness. The white wines present themselves very balanced, powerful, juicy and fresh, with complex structure. The red wines offer extraordinary ripe tannins and are fruity, powerful and balanced, with enormous depth.

winemaking

The grapes are harvested by hand into small bins, with careful attention to every berry, and gently pressed after a short period of maceration. After destemming and compaction, a short period of maceration at low temperature follows, then gentle pressing. Fermentation takes place slowly, for more than 4 weeks at a controlled temperature of 18°C, before it is stopped by cooling to 5°C for 10 days. The wine is then transferred into small stainless-steel tanks.

MATURATION
Maturation takes place in small steel tanks with constant contact with the lees for 8 months, whereas must is clarified through natural sedimentation of the particles. After bottling, the wine is carried to the Ridanna Monteneve mine, at over 2,000 m in altitude. Here, the wine ages in the dark for nearly 6 years, 4 km deep in the mine, in an environment that maintains constant 90% humidity and a temperature of 11°C all year long, with the air pressure the same as outdoors.