Growing Conditions
***Soil***:
The vineyards are planted on plots of land with different and composite morphological characteristics, as well as with a strong presence of limestone. These areas are also rich in rocks and rather rich in clay and are located at an altitude between 100 and 300 meters above sea level, facing West - South/West.
***Vine Training***:
Cordon spur system
***Planting Density***:
Between 3.600 to 5.500 vine stocks/Ha for older vineyards and 6.200 vine stocks/Ha for newer vineyards.
***Climate***:
Weather conditions for the 2002 vintage varied greatly; during the spring, the climate remained within seasonal norms, while during the months of June and July, precipitation was above the seasonal average. The weather remained sunny from the first days of September for the entire period of the harvest, thus favoring the grapes' complete ripening.
Harvest
At harvest time, thanks to very useful winds and sunshine in the Bolgheri coastal zone, the grapes were healthy and in good quantity. So the harvesting, that begun on the 9th of September, was generally satisfactory and took place almost without interruptions.
Winemaking
The primary fermentation took place in temperature controlled stainless steel vats at a temperature of 30° - 31° C. The maceration of the skins lasted 15 days for both the Cabernet Sauvignon and the Cabernet Franc, with a combination of pumping over and délestage. The malolactic or secondary fermentation also took place in the steel vats.
Aging
The wine is aged for 24 months in French oak barriques and a few more months in the bottle before being released on the market.
