VARIETAL COMPOSITION 100% MerlotPRODUCTION AREA Spessa (Colli Megaluzzi),

Cividale of the Friuli

SOIL TYPE AND DISPOSITION Eocene Marls (Flysch of Cormons) on hill slopes

EXTENSION OF THE VINEYARD 1.2 hectares

ALTITUDE/EXPOSITION 160 m a.s.l., south/south-east

VINEYARD ESTABLISHMENT 1966-1999-2002

VINE DENSITY 5000-7500 plants/hectare

VINE TRAINING SYSTEM Classic Guyot (4-6 buds)YIELD PER PLANT approximately 1 kg

GRAPE HARVEST hand-picked harvest using crates; last ten days of September

WINEMAKING only the carefully selected grapes from the oldest vineyards are brought into the winery. Fermentation starts spontaneously without any additional yeast. The must remains in truncated conical wooden vats for 30 days and un- dergoes frequent manual punching of the cap and pumping-o- ver. Following fermentation/maceration the grape marc is delicately removed from the vats and undergoes soft pressing. The wine remains in the vat for another couple of days and then it is racked into new barriques. Malolactic fermentation occurs in the barriques.

AGEING

Over a period of 36 months minimum ageing in wood the wine is racked regularly according to the moon’s phases. It is finally assembled and remains in large oak tanks for another 6 months. It ages in the bottle for 4 months before being relea- sed onto the market.