THE YEAR 1999: IN LAZIO THE VEGETATIVE DEVELOPMENT OF THE VINES WAS EARLY DUE TO THE GOOD CLIMATIC CONDITIONS WHICH CHARACTERISED THE SPRING. THE HIGH SUMMER TEMPERATURES WERE RELIEVED BY OPPORTUNE FALLS OF RAIN WHICH ENCOURAGED GROWTH. THE GRAPES RIPENED RATHER EARLY IN THE DOC ZONE OF FRASCATI. IN THE SANTA TERESA VINEYARD THE YIELD WAS LIMITED TO 100 QUINTALS/HECTARE; THE BUNCHES, PICKED FROM 4 OCTOBER ONWARDS, WERE HEALTHY WITH A GOOD SUGAR CONTENT, A STRONG, HIGHER THAN USUAL ACIDITY AND A BALANCED RICHNESS OF VARIETAL AROMAS.
THE GRAPES: 30% MALVASIA PUNTINATA DEL LAZIO, 30% MALVASIA DI CANDIA, 30% TREBBIANO TOSCANO, 10% GRECO.
THE VINEYARD: 13 HECTARES (OF WHICH 3 ARE MALVASIA PUNTINATA AND 1.5 GRECO, ALL NEWLY PLANTED) IN THE LOCALITY OF SANTA TERESA, IN THE COMMUNE OF ROME. THE VINES, TRAINED BY THE CORDONE SPERONATO SYSTEM ON HILLY GROUND (300 METRES ALTITUDE) OF VOLCANIC ORIGIN WELL EXPOSED TO THE SOUTH, YIELDED 100 QUINTALS/HECTARE OF GRAPES WITH AN OUTPUT OF 70% WINE.
THE VINIFICATION: FROM 4 TO 12 OCTOBER THERE WERE SELECTIVE PICKINGS OF THE DIFFERENT GRAPE VARIETIES ACCORDING TO THE RATES OF RIPENING: FIRST THE MALVASIA, THEN THE GRECO AND FINALLY THE TREBBIANO. A GENTLE PRESSING WAS FOLLOWED BY VINIFICATION BY THE WHITE WINE METHOD FOR THE TREBBIANO AND THE GRECO, WHILE THE MALVASIA WAS COLD MACERATED ON THE SKINS FOR 12 HOURS. AFTER NATURAL CLARIFICATION, THE MUST WAS FERMENTED AT 15-16°C WITH SELECTED YEASTS; THE WINE WAS RESTED IN TEMPERATURE CONTROLLED STAINLESS STEEL TANKS UNTIL THE BOTTLING AT THE BEGINNING OF APRIL.
THE WINE: PALE GOLD COLOUR; DELICATE BUT WELL DEFINED BOUQUET, WITH FINE FLORAL NOTES AND HINTS OF SAGE AND APPLE; FULL, SOFT BUT FRESH AND LIVELY AND VERY SAVOURY FLAVOUR WITH A DEFINITE, PLEASANTLY LINGERING AFTERTASTE OF SWEET ALMONDS. IT HAS GREAT FINESSE.
ANALYTICAL DETAILS: 12.9% ALCOHOL; 5.2G/L TOTAL ACIDITY; 3.35PH; 2.7G/L RESIDUAL SUGAR; 21G/L DRY EXTRACT .
OPTIMUM KEEPING: 2 YEARS IN BOTTLES STORED HORIZONTALLY IN COOL, DARK CONDITIONS.
FOOD MATCHES: HORS D'OEUVRES, FIRST COURSES, FISH, COLD WHITE MEATS.
SERVING TEMPERATURE: 10-12°C.