The important foundations that the winemakers of the Roman Empire laid down some 2000 yearsago are not commonly known. The Romans loved the rich wines of the hills around Verona, with their distinctive slightly bitter almond notes.
The wines also had a substantial alcohol content, another important factor for the Romans, as they discovered another groundbraking pillar of today’s wine culture, the aging of wine. For the first time in history up to 100 year old vintages where appreciated by the powerful and wealthy. The Romans made another groundbreaking discovery.
Wine was commonly stored in ceramic amphorae. As the Empire grew and wine was transported over long distances, oak barrels were used, as they made transport easier. It was then, that the Romans saw the benefits, that the barrels would give in enhancing the wine and the importance they would play in winemaking.
Drawing from the inspiration of the Roman forefathers, Massimiliano wanted to bring back ancient tradition to this territory, enhanced by the more lessons in history coming from the Bordeaux region. An approach thatis embodied in the “Rosso della Marchesa”, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and autochtonous Corvina grapes, the only wine of its kind. The growth of the vine is constantly followed, allowing the terroir to express itself and let the unique factors that determine this vines unfold.
Obviously the skilled eye will watch out and interfere if necessary, but the key is to keep the right balance. Mainly vine training consists in spurred cordon, Pergola Veronese and Gouyot. As with many fine wines this is one of the factors why no vintage is the same. The composition of a blend may slightly vary from year to year, as the knowledge of the winemaker determines the appropriate parts for a specific vintage.
Malolactic fermentation takes place in oak barrels. The wine is then aged in oak barrels and again, it is the winemaker’s knowledge and intuition to determine the right momento for the wine to be bottled. In extreme cases the wine may remain in the barrel from 24 up to 36 months.