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***:
The second half of winter and the beginning of spring were much milder than usual and also very dry. This resulted in early budding. In April the temperature dropped, arresting the growth of the buds. The summer was very hot and sunny and it continued for the whole of September and for the duration of the harvest which meant that at the time of picking, the grapes were very healthy, with high sugar concentration. The 1997 harvest was low in terms of quantity, but high in quality.
Harvest
An excellent harvest in all ways: the climactic trends during harvesting, the conditions of the grapes, their perfect ripeness and balanced quantities on the plants, which favoured interesting skin thickness and excellent sugar.
Winemaking
Regular fermenting trends, with no microbiological problems due both to yeast and malolactic bacteria, which very quickly transformed the limited quantity of malic acid. Maceration of around 16 days, with a good yield of extract. The malolactic (fermentation) finished a week after racking.
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.
