The grapes are handpicked in small baskets and brought to the Bodega as quickly as possible. After careful hand-selection, fermentation takes place in open topped fermentation tanks and involves regular punching down of the cake or cap.
The wine is transferred from the fermentation tanks directly to small French & German oak barrels for malolactic fermentation (we do not use oak chips or staves). The wines remain in barrels (20 - 40 % new) with gentle, carefully timed rackings for approx. 14 - 20 months - depending on the vintage & type of wine.
The natural development of the wine is allowed with the minimum of handling, which includes a soft fining with fresh, free range egg whites and one single filtration prior to bottling.
Our white wines
Depending on which wine we are making the grapes may have some skin contact before gentle pressing. Fermentation is either in stainless steel tanks (for the Arietta and Sonatina) or in new French/German oak barrels for the Sonata (Chardonnay).
After the wine has matured (for varying lengths of time – depending on the type of wine) we give the wine a bentonite fining (a natural clay product) for protein stabilisation and then filter before bottling.
Our rosado
Made in the same way as the white wines but from red grapes, which are given 6 – 12 hours skin contact to ensure the correct colour is obtained. Fermentation is in stainless steel tanks and then left on the fine lees for further flavour enhancement.
After approximately 8 weeks the wine receives a bentonite fining before bottling.
