The wine:

• A full-bodied premium Chardonnay, with great elegance and complexity obtained from three different clones in a densely-planted vineyard. Vinification conducted with fermentation and long aging in french barriques at the winery’s room temperature.

Classification:

• Veneto-Indicazione Geografica Tipica.

Philosophy:

• A wine form an international varietal with a strong expression of the local terroir.

Production area:

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

Type of soil:

• Primarily clay with deeper calcareous layers.

Varietal:

• Chardonnay 100%.

Training:

• Rammed cord, 9500 vines per hectare.

Installation:

• 1990/1993.

Harvest, vinification & aging:

• The grapes, picked in the first half of September, enter the press after being cooled down by a few degrees. The must is left to rest to separate itself from the sediments before beginning the next phase of vinification. 50% is then fermented and aged in new allier barriques for about 180 days, while the remaining 50% is fermented and rests at a controlled temperature in steel containers. In the month of March following the harvest the two wines are assembled and then stored at an ideal temperature for an additional six months. After bottling the wine is left another four months to age before being released.

Analytical data:

• Alcohol 13.50%.

Tasting notes:

• Pale-yellow in color, crystal clear with a slight tinge of green. An intense aroma of fresh fruit, typical of the Chardonnay style, from which emerge toasted aromas of vanilla which leave a layer of exotic perfumes such as pineapple and banana; the smell of citrus fruits, hazel-nuts and melted butter complete the aroma. On tasting it the wine denotes an excellent and elegant refined structure and is well-balanced with a delicacy of bitterness and sapidity.

Serving temperature:

• 12°/13°C.

Best with:

• Light hors-d’oeuvre, first dishes of pasta and sea-fish.