VENTAGLIO 2018
Toscana IGT
Ventaglio’s superior complexity and structure, balanced by undeniable elegance, represent the utmost expression of Cabernet Franc in Bolgheri. All work on the green vines and harvesting are performed exclusively by hand, minimising treatments and ensuring that all growing methods are oriented toward complete environmental sustainability and maintenance of the soil’s vitality. The “shape of the wine” is a direct result of the shape of the vineyard. The “morning grapes”, “midday grapes” and “evening grapes” are fermented together, summing their differences in aromatic development, ripeness and freshness to create a wine that is more than the sum of its parts, an all-round “collective natural creation” in which all the nuances of the terroir find their proper, balanced expression.
Cabernet Franc
100%
VINIFICATION
Grapes from the most privileged sections of the Ventaglio vineyard, 120 m above sea level, are harvested by hand in crates and selected on two sorting tables. Whole grapes fall by gravity into two little truncated cone-shaped tanks made of French oak wood, where they are fermented on the skins, alternating daily pumping over and manual punching down of the cap for 25 days at a controlled temperature of 28 to 30° C. The wine is then poured into barriques and tonneaux of French and Austrian oak, some of which are new, where it undergoes malolactic fermentation. The wine is then aged in oak and then in the bottle before it is sold.
TERROIR
Altitude
120 m. asl
Vineyard exposure
Southwest / Northeast
Plant density
6000 plants/ha
Yield per hectare
60 qa/ha
Climate
The year began with a generally mild winter and heavy rain. In February came the cold, with days recorded as low as -6°C, a rare occasion for the Bolgheri area. In spring, budding in April was delayed but without cause for alarm. Plentiful rains in May and June (178 mm) compromised the defense mechanisms of the plant in an already fragile phase: here, timeliness in the vineyard and the welcome exposure to sea winds were fundamental in the health of the vineyards in order not to compromise production. Summer was dry as usual, although average temperatures were lower than in recent years, peaking in the first week of August. Veraison was a bit slow, especially for certain varieties such as Cabernet Franc. The abundant spring rains guaranteed a long, slow maturation leading up to a sunny September that allowed us to arrive at the right maturation in each microzone. Harvest began on September 5th with the first parcels of merlot, followed by vermentino on the morning of September 18th. The end of September brought in the fresh and ventilated parcels of “Argentiera e Ginestre” merlot, followed by cabernet franc. Harvested concluded with cabernet sauvignon, harvested between the final days of September and October 5th.