| Classification |
DOC Primitivo di Manduria
|
| Soil composition |
The vineyard is composed of 70% mixed limestone rock and 30% red clayey soil. |
| Cultivation system |
The vines are guyot-trained and cultivated with a special tailor-made pruning system, which aims to ensure natural lymphatic flow through the vine by reducing the size of the cuts. |
| Harvest |
By hand in10-kg crates. From early September to 9th October. |
| Production technique |
A very important aspect is green pruning, which is carried out meticulously and strictly by hand. Leaf thinning is carried out on the east side, the so-called ‘morning side’, which enables the grape skins to thicken, facilitate gradual ripening by way of light rather than heat and avoiding over-ripening. To guarantee high quality yields, during veraison, the racemes – bunches produced by side shoots – are removed. Thorough bunch thinning is then carried out, which significantly reduces yields per hectare. Finally, the need for weed killers has been eliminated in the Altemura vineyards and replaced by expert tilling of the soil under the wine rows. |
| Vinification |
The best Primitivo grapes from a single vineyard in the heart of the estate were harvested when they reached perfect over-ripening on the vine. After further bunch selection on the sorting table, gentle pressing and de-stemming followed. The must was fermented for 7 days at a temperature of 25-28 °C. Maceration on the skins followed for about 2 weeks. |
| Ageing |
After vinification was completed, the wine was aged for 14 months in 350-litre French oak tonneaux followed by a further 6-month period of fine tuning in the bottle. |
| Pairing |
Flavoursome and spicy dishes, succulent red meats and well-matured cheeses. Due to its complexity both on the nose and on the palate, it is also an excellent wine for contemplative moments. |