This vineyard lies in the village of Novello, on the highly-prized “Sotto Castello” (below the castle) Cru facing south, south-east at an average altitude of 400 m asl. The fairly deep limestone soil has medium consistency with good drainage. The vines are planted with a density of 4,500 per hectare and are trained on vertical trellises and pruned using the Guyot system.
Vinification is on the skins, with a submerged cap and daily pumping over of the must. The maceration is extended for several days following the alcoholic fermentation by steeping the cap in order to increase the extraction and stabilize the color extracted; after the wine has been drawn off and racked several times, it undergoes malolactic fermentation in steel before being transferred to oak by the end of the year to mature for two years in oak barrels prior to bottling, which takes place one year before the wine is released.
Deep, bright ruby red with slight orange hues; expansive, clear-cut nose, with hints of violet, vanilla, cinnamon, sweet tobacco, and licorice; very structured, soft mouth-filling taste, which is lightly dry with an appealing, long, spicy finish. Its structure and wealth of polyphenols give this wine an exceptionally long cellar life, during which its tasting properties continue to develop.