Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Riserva doc
Code: PRPRA01N0115
The Riserva, a long-lived and complex red wine, originates from the maceration with the Montepulciano d’Abruzzo grape skins and the long ageing period. Beginning with the vintage 1990, a wide selection of Riserva wines is available. The Riserva pairs very well with lamb, goat, pecorino cheese, game and with all the plates of the culinary tradition of the inland of Abruzzo.
In the vineyard
Kind of grapes- 100% Montepulciano d’Abruzzo
Land area- 5 hectares
Location of the vineyards - Western hills of Peligna Valley, Abruzzo. 1.247feet (about 400 meters) above sea level
Soil - Clayish, very rich with white calcareous stones
Microclimate - Very windy with low humidity and temperatures that fluctuate widely from very hot during the day to very cold at night
Method of plant installation - Cordon and spurs
Age of vineyards - 25 years, on average
Plants per hectare - 4000
Grape yield per hectare - Approximately 12.125 pounds (55q)
Manual labour - Winter pruning, green pruning. The grass at the base of the vines is removed manually, by using the hoe (without any weedkiller)
Treatments - Copper and sulphur (bio-products)
Fertilizer - Manure, fava bean (or “sovescio”).
Harvest - Occurs usually within the first 15 days of October. Grapes are harvested manually using small 20 kg (44 pounds) baskets to ensure they are not damaged upon arrival to the cellar.
In the cellar
Vinification -Spontaneous fermentation in stainless steel barrels and maceration for about 12 days
Maturation - Approximately 24 months in Slavonia and French oak barrels
Refining in the bottle - About 6 months
Note -The wine is not filtered or pasteurized, it only undergoes natural decantation. Sulphites are added in considerably lower amounts than the maximum allowed for organic certification.
Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo Superiore
Code: PRPRA02N0118
The Cerasuolo Superiore is created with the same grapes as the Riserva, by limiting to a few hours the maceration process with the grape skins. The Cerasuolo Superiore, with its intense pink color, subtle bouquet of sorb, pomegranate, wild roses and its refreshing acidity, is a versatile wine. It’s perfectly coupled with pasta, white meat, salami and even fish. The elders of our town agree that in the past the local traditional wine had these same characteristics.
In the vineyard
Kind of grapes- 100% Montepulciano d’Abruzzo
Land area- About 6 hectares of Montepulciano vines.
Location of the vineyards -Western hills of Peligna valley, Abruzzo. Province of L’Aquila. Slopes face the East. 400 metres (about 1.247feet) above sea level.
Soil - It is of alluvial origin. It’s clayish and particularly rich with white calcareous stones, that help the water drain. The substrate of the soil is mainly rocky.
Microclimate - The microclimate of the area, influenced by the presence of mountains and by its distance from the coast, is excellent because of low humidity, steady winds and a great variance in the temperature between day and night. These conditions allow for a gradual ripening of the grapes and to preserve acidity. The cool temperature at night helps the berries fixate their flavors until they reach a perfect ripening, which usually occurs during the first half of October.
Method of plant installation - Cordon and spurs -“Cordone speronato”.
Age of vineyards - 5 years on average
Plants per hectare - 4000
Grape yield per hectare - 50q
Manual labour - Very brief winter pruning, leave pruning, cutting back suckers and thinning grape clusters. NOTE ON LABOUR. Weedkillers aren’t used. Grass is manually removed at the base of the vines.
Fertilizer - Manure and fava bean
Harvest -The harvest 2019 occurred at the beginning of October. Grapes are always harvested manually using small 20 kg (44 pounds) baskets to ensure they are not damaged upon arrival to the cellar. Grapes were harvested when the “Babo” was about 21.
In the cellar
Vinification -100% Montepulciano grapes are destemmed and gently crushed. The juice undergoes a maceration process for about 1 day on its grape skins, before fermentation starts. A slow spontaneous fermentation in stainless steel tanks follows, without the presence of the skins and without adding any exogenous yeast. The wine goes through malolactic fermentation.
Maturation -6 months in stainless-steel tanks. NOTE ON AGING: this wine is not pasteurized, nor Sulphur treatment - Sulphur is added in very small amounts before fermentation and before bottling. The amount of sulphur in the bottle is about 50mg/l.
Note - The wine is not filtered, neither pasteurized, it only undergoes natural decantation .Sulphites are added in much lower amount than the maximum allowed from the organic certification.
