Epokale Gewürztraminer 2011

Epochal
grape variety: Gewürztraminer
yield: 29 hl/ha
altitude: 400 -450 m
exposure: South-East 70%
harvest time: end of October
bottles produced: 1,200
soil: calcareous gravel and clay, with a porphyry rock background.
age of the vines: among the oldest guyots of the variety, from over 20 years to almost 30 years.
climate: strong temperature variations due to hot days, influenced by the Mediterranean climate, and cold nights with very fresh winds coming from the mountains.

Winemaking
Grapes harvested by hand, with attention to every single grain, placed in small containers that keep them intact. After destemming and pressing it is left to macerate briefly in the must at a low temperature, followed by soft pressing. Slow fermentation at a controlled temperature of 18°C ​​for over four weeks, followed by cooling at 5°C for 10 days. Subsequently, it is decanted into another small steel container where it remains in contact with the yeasts for another eight months with the must being racked for natural sedimentation.

REFINEMENT
In small steel containers, in continuous contact with the yeasts for eight months. After bottling, the wine was taken to the Monteneve mine, in Val Ridanna, at over 2000 meters above sea level. Here it was stored for about six years in the dark, 4 kilometers from the tunnel entrance and a depth of 450 meters below the mountain. The temperature of 11° and the humidity of 90% are constant throughout the year, the atmospheric pressure equal to the outside pressure.