VINEYARD

Category: red, dry
Grape variety: merlot 100 %
Source vineyard: Vignai, Ciampagne and Vie di Romans
Geographical area: Friuli Isonzo Rive Alte
Place: Mariano del Friuli (GO)
Average planting age: 12 years
Vine density: 6,000 vines/ha (2,428 vines/ac)
Yield per hectar and per vine: 6,052 kg/ha (5,404 lbs/ac) and 1.00 kg/vine
Layout: 2.40 x 0.70 m - 1.9 x 0.80 m
Area: 1.95 ha (4.82 ac) in production
Elevation: 31 - 32 m (101 - 105 ft)
Exposure: North - South and East - West
Training method: Simple guyot
Soils profile: Medium deep, with generous gravel-pebbly texture, ranges from sand-silt to clay-silt, reddish hue due to presence of ferrous and aluminum oxides, well drained little water-retention capacity
Harvest period: 21st September

VINIFICATION

De-stemming and crushing
Skin contact: 14 days, planging and delestage applyed
Fermentation vessel: stainless still fermentation vats
Fermentation: 17 ÷ 24 °C (63 - 75 °F)
Yeast: selected strains
Length of fermentation: 10 days
Malolactic fermentation: complete
Maturation: 9 months in barrells, followed by 5 months in steel until completion of natural clarification
Bottling: end of November, 2008
Bottle-ageing: 28 months
Production: 10,726 - 750 ml bottles