The winemaking process of our autochthonous grapes begins with a machine used to separate the grapes from the stalks without compressing the bunches. Our autochthonous grapes are slowly and gently pumped into the vinificators by an innovative helipump. The real vinification process starts now: the must with the skins begin the slow temperature-controlled spontaneous fermentation just with the autochthonous yeasts and without addition of sulphites. During the first 48 hours, frequent brief pumping of the must over the pomace is carried out by the automatic vinification system in order to keep the skins constantly well submerged. In full fermentation, the pumping lasts longer and is done as an open cycle to oxygenate the must. Every one to two days, all the must is drawn out and kept for a few minutes separated from the pomace, which at the same time is broken down and crushed by the system of bars set within the vinificators.
The fermenting must of the Primitivo is kept in contact with the skins in controlled temperature for 10 days without use of selected yeasts, whereas for the Greco this phase lasts just few hours. After this phase, all the must is drawn out definitively to complete its slow final fermentation, within temperature-controlled tanks, before becoming wine. In the meantime, the grape-skins are unloaded and pushed into an air-press machine, which extracts their residual juice through a soft pressing, without crushing the grape-seeds which contain aggressive tannins. From this moment, the different masses of must in fermentation are constantly monitored by chemical analysis to choose the right kind of ageing.
The vinification is completed by racking (or separating) the must from the lees: the first racking is carried out during the fermentation to complete the process free from lees. From the end of fermentation process until the Spring, other rackings are carried out to oxygenate the wine and eliminate the last dregs.
In addition to the temperature control system of the vinificators, an air conditioning system keeps the temperature inside the cellar constant at about 20°C. In this conditions, the masses of wine, begin their maturation process with a natural malolactic in stainless steel tanks and the ageing process of the Primitivo in Slavonic oak casks, where they are free fall transferred and constantly monitored by organoleptic and laboratory analysis.
Our cellar, carved in rocks to a depth of 3 metres and equipped with dehumidification systems, is furnished with 750 litres oak barrels. Our Primitivo is aged in the casks only for some months to receive just a touch of smoothness without covering and standardizing its rich, imposing, complex and characteristic personality. In the rock wall, it’s possible to admire some niches which preserve the historical museum of our production year by year. To make our work and the wine fining as comfortable and healthy as possible, our cellar is also equipped with UV-C lamps to sterilize the environment, the equipment and the air constantly moving through a ventilation system.
The sign of our extreme devotion to our wine is made perfectly clear by the application of music therapy, through the diffusion, at different times during the day, of soft new age and classical music enriched with sounds of Nature (wind, rain, leaves movement, water flowing and chirping of birds), based on the idea that those soft vibrations improve the activity of the micro flora present in the wine and support its breathing when in casks. Matured with lots of care and attention, our organic wine is finally ready for its debut, but it still needs a final touch to make it impeccable: the bottling. Our organic wines are flow in the bottle unfiltered and with a very low sulphites content.
Our entire production cycle is 100% sustainable powered by solar panels and taking advantage of this renewable energy source it results in Zero CO2 emissions.
