To describe a wine, it is necessary to find out about its origin – the landscape, the place, the environment from which it is born: this is the only way to fully understand its nature.
Villa Donoratico is a decidedly consistent and complex wine that reveals deep bond with the territory.
Cabernet Sauvignon
45%
Merlot
30%
Cabernet Franc
15%
Petit Verdot
10%
Grapes are harvested manually and selected on the sorting table; whole and intact grapes fall into the tanks thanks to the force of gravity.
All varieties are vinified separately; fermentation and maceration took place in stainless steel tanks for roughly 20-25 days at a controlled temperature that never exceeded 28° C.
After undergoing malolactic fermentation, 80% of the wine aged in 500-l French and Austrian oak tonneaux while the remaining 20% in 225-l French oak barriques. The wine then refined in the bottle.
Altitude
30/80 m. asl
Vineyard exposure
North-South
Plant density
6000 plants/ha
Yield per hectare
70 qa/ha
Soil
continental sands and Flysch*
*sedimentary rocks consisting of limestone, marble, clay interbedded with sandstones and siliceous rocks
The harvest, which started on the second week of September, was characterized by a quick picking of perfectly ripe and healthy grapes, which were brought to the cellar between one rainy day and another. The climatic trend turned out to generally be favorable in a year that has been particularly dry, with little rain that only started from mid-May onwards. Summer had been regular and dry, without excessively high temperatures. A storm at the end of August has poured 40 mm of rain that has been essential to the final phase of ripening of the grapes. The patient wait for the perfect polyphenolic maturation of the red grapes has enabled the harvest of Argentiera Merlots characterized by incredible fruit and excellent productivity. Production and quantity of Vermentino and Syrah grapes were equally outstanding. In time for harvest, the Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards located along the Aurelia yielded perfect quality grapes for Poggio ai Ginepri. The Cabernet Franc grapes harvested between 24 September and 1 October from the Ventaglio vineyard are the promise of excellence. The second half of September saw a sudden change in temperature, with averages below 20°C, and unusual rain along the coast of Bolgheri, so the Cabernet Sauvignon harvest, especially in the high areas of Argentiera, had been sped up in order to bring grapes at the height of their expression in terms of ripeness and balance to the cellar, and prevent the rain from washing away all the richness that the fruit contained. Fortunately, the grapes have not shown any sign of watering down but have immediately expressed aromatic delicacy and a certain elegance that distinguish them from the fruits harvested at the beginning of September. On October 6, the Cabernet Sauvignon grapes from the “campetto” vineyard were picked, completing a harvest that left everyone highly satisfied and committed. The wines produced present outstanding balance and have blended in tannins, acidity and aromas, ensuring a vintage endowed with balance and longevity.