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 season’s climate was particularly favourable, with very scarse rainfall from the beginning of July until the last week of September. Temperatures, also in part due to proximity of the sea, remained within seasonal averages, favouring a consistent ripening process.
Harvest
The harvest began during the first ten days of September and went on for about three weeks.
Bottling
The wine was then bottled in October 2002.
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 began its aging process at the beginning of November. For 22 months, it remained in French barriques (1/3 of which were new).
