Winemaking is a delicate process that requires careful planning, preparation, and a bit of luck. In fact, the process begins long before the first buds even begin to swell after the winter frosts. At our winery, we take pride in producing remarkable wines, and we go to great lengths to ensure that our wines are of the highest quality.
Our ultimate goal is to make wines that express the unique terroir of our domain. We firmly believe that it is the winemaker’s responsibility not to mould the wine to their preference but to allow the grapes to reveal their unique characteristics. To achieve this, we take great care in handling our wine to protect it from oxygenation. This means using only the minimum amount of sulphur necessary to protect our wines for aging. In fact, we aim to keep our sulphite levels around 70mg/l, as recommended by the most restrictive biodynamic label, “Demeter.” Additionally, we don’t use any other additives, even if they’re allowed by organic regulations. This means we avoid using things like acids, gums, and even artificial yeast.
One way we do this is by harvesting all varieties individually by hand. This involves making multiple passes over the same rows with days in-between to collect the grapes at their optimal levels of maturity. For white and rose wines, we even harvest the grapes early in the morning to preserve their freshness and minimize potential oxidation from the mid days heat.
Lastly, we ferment our wines with natural yeast. This means using the yeast that is present in the environment rather than adding commercial yeast to the grape juice. While this process can produce unique and complex flavours, it can also be more unpredictable than using commercial yeast. The specific strains of yeast present in the environment can vary depending on the location and climate, giving our wines a truly distinct flavour.
The process of revealing the best in wines is different for whites and roses as opposed to red wines. Winemaking is an intricate process that involves many different steps, each of which plays a vital role in producing a high-quality wine.
When making white and rosé wines, there are specific techniques and methods that we employ to bring out the unique flavours and characteristics of the grapes.
Typically, when making white and rosé wines, we remove the stems from the grapes and then soak them for a specific duration. However, depending on the harvest conditions, we sometimes work with whole bunches, including the stems. We use a press of either nine or 25 hectolitres to extract the juice at low pressure, and the time we press the grapes varies depending on the desired result. In some cases, we also separate the different presses to create various wines.
The alcoholic fermentation of the juice occurs partly in tanks for lighter rosé wines and partly in Garbellotto Acacia wood cone-shaped vats for longer-lived, gastronomic rosé wines and most whites. For our premium cuvée, we ferment the juice on the lees, using Demptos oak barrels of different sizes and wood types, to create the desired wine's characteristics. We avoid conducting malolactic fermentation, except for specific cuvées and vintages that require long ageing white wines.
Our ultimate goal in winemaking is to produce wines that express the unique terroir of our domain. To achieve this, with white and rose wines, we focus on preserving the delicate floral and fruit aromas, as well as the freshness and acidity. Since white wines are typically fermented without the skins and seeds, resulting in a lighter colour and fewer tannins, we use a lower temperature range of around 10-15°C (50-59°F) to preserve the delicate aromas and flavours of the grapes.
Crafting exceptional red wine is a complex and intricate process that requires the skill and precision of expert winemakers. The goal is to unlock the complex flavours, aromas, and tannins that are hidden in the skins and seeds of the grape. This is achieved by allowing the skins and seeds to remain in contact with the juice during the fermentation process. To promote the development of complex flavour and aroma compounds, a higher temperature range of around 20-32°C (68-90°F) is needed.
We strive to create unique flavours and aromas in our red wines by utilizing different winemaking methods. This includes fermenting the grapes with or without the stems, as well as varying the length of the maceration and fermentation process depending on the desired outcome. To enhance the complexity of our red wines, we use Garbellotto oak cone-shaped vats in 12 or 25-hectoliter sizes, selecting different types and sources of oak.
During the winemaking process, we always carry out malolactic fermentation to soften the wine's acidity and create a more balanced flavour profile. Sometimes, this process is carried out after barrelling. Our winemakers take great care to preserve the unique characteristics of the grapes throughout the process, resulting in wines that express the distinctive terroir of our domain.