|
|
Here we truly have a wine classic, produced
from cabernet franc grapes of the carmenère variety.
The vineyard, planted in 1968, is a fairly old one, and
great care must be taken in its management. The results,
however, are impressive. Our Cabernet displays deep purple-red,
rich varietal aromas that are on the herbal side and quite
spicy, with black pepper and cinnamon easily in evidence;
notes of vanilla, too, emerge, from the wine’s maturation
in small oak. In the mouth, flavors are concentrated and
dense, and it boasts a supple roundness that complements
fine-grained tannins which have already softened. The
finish is lengthy, as one would expect, with a nice spiciness
throughout.
The vineyard is located in Grava, an area in the comune
of S. Giorgio della Richinvelda; in the Friulano language,
grava refers to the gravelly soils of riverbanks. These
limestone-based soils are rocky and schistous, shallow
but well-drained.
The grapes are harvested by hand into shallow picking-trays,
usually in the last week of September or in early October,
depending on local weather.
After de-stemming and crushing, the must is inoculated
with selected yeasts as well as with enzymes which encourage
color extraction; it macerates on the skins for about
ten to twelve days. The juice is then pressed off and
goes to stainless steel tanks, where it ferments and
goes through malolactic fermentation.
The wine matures in small French and American oak barrels
from nine to twelve months.
Total production: Approx. 625 cases.
Alcohol: 13.5%
Total acidity: 5.8 gr/li.
pH: 3.55
|
|
