The wine:

• A world-class premium, elegant and complex Merlot with a full body, great aromas and deep spices, obtained from low-yield vineyards with a density of 9500 vines per hectare. A highly awarded wine from a familywith over 150 years of winemaking tradition.

Classification:

• Veneto-Indicazione Geografica Tipica.

Philosophy:

• Expressing the local terroir with an international grape variety by combining Merlot with the Veronese tradition.
• of the drying process.

Production area:

• Tenuta S. Maria alla Pieve Estate, situated in Val d’Illasi, 10 miles east of Verona, with the vineyards exposed from north to south on a slightly sloping hill.

Type of soil:

• Primarily clay with deeper calcareous layers.

Varietal:

• Merlot 100% selected from three clones.
• Training:
• Rammed cord, 9500 vines per hectare.

Installation:

• 1991/1993.

Vineyard management:

• Due to the high density of the vines, more than 70% of the vineyards’ management is mechanical. However, the winter pruning of the vines, the green harvest in spring and summer and the harvest is done by hand.

Harvest vinification and aging:

• A part of the grapes are picked in late September and left to dry for about a month in protected but airy locales on the Estate. Another part of the harvest takes place in the first part of October in a stage of over-ripening. The two harvests are fermented separately and then blended for fining in oak barriques for about 14 months. After bottling the wine undergoes a brief period of final refining.
• Analytical data:
• Alcohol 14.5% by vol.

Tasting notes:

• Intense dark red with purple nuances. A complex aroma which reminds one of the wild berries, together with hints of coffee and vanilla-flavoured chocolate. Tannins are soft, very well balanced with acidity and consistency of the wine. Long and persistent on the palate, with a finale that reminds one of aromatic spices.

Serving temperature:

• 15°/18°C from a decanter.

Best with:

• Risottos, red meat, game and aged savoury cheese.