Spumante Brut Donnafugata

DENOMINATION: Vino Spumante Sicilia DOC

TYPE: Brut Metodo Classico

GRAPES: Chardonnay and Pinot Nero

PRODUCTION AREA: South-western Sicily, Tenuta di Contessa Entellina and nearby areas

TERRAINS & CLIMATE: altitude 470 - 500 m a.m.s.l.; high hilly orography, facing north-east; clay loam soils with a sub-alkaline reaction (pH 7.5 to 7.9), rich in nutritive elements (potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, manganese, zinc); total limestone from 20 to 35%. Mild winters with little rainfall. Warm, dry, ventilated summers. Substantial differences between day and night-time temperatures.

VINEYARD: VSP (vertical shoot positioning) pruning with Guyot training; planting densities: 4,444 plants per hectare (2.5 m x 0.9 m); yields of 7.5 - 8.5 tons/ha (3.0 - 3.4 tons/acre).

VINTAGE: The 2016 vintage was characterized by a fairly balanced climatic trend, marked by a mild spring and a summer without excessive peaks of heat, allowing the vineyard to continue the vegetative cycle in a balanced way. Overall, from 1 October 2015 to 30 September 2016, 590 mm* of rainfall was recorded, a slightly lower figure compared to seasonal average of 667mm**. Careful vineyard management allowed us to bring into the winery healthy and well-ripened grapes, a premise of quality, long-lived wines. (*VINTAGE: in Contessa Entellina we consider the period from October 1 to September 30; RAINFALL: average obtained from SIAS, (Sicilian Agrometeorological Service), the average is calculated at Contessa Entellina from the harvest 2003).

HARVESTING: manual harvesting of grapes into crates with careful selection of the grapes in the vineyard. Harvest was inaugurated August 2nd with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir destined for the production of the Brut Metodo Classico.

VINIFICATION: Once the grapes reach the winery, they undergo further selection on a vibrating table before soft pressing. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel at around 15-16°C. Second fermentation in the bottle follows. After tirage the Brut ages for 36 months on the lees.

ANALYSIS DATA: alcohol 11.80% ABV - pH 3.05 - total acidity 7.2 g/l - residual sugar 6.5 g/l.

TASTING NOTES (15/09/2020): brilliant straw yellow, this Millesimato 2016 offers a fine and intense bouquet. It opens with aromas of bread crust and hay, accompanied by nuances of dried fruit (peanut) and light citrusy scents (lemon peel). The palate is fresh and crisp and, at the same time, ample and complex. A harmonious brut, with fine and persistent perlage and of extraordinary personality.

FOOD & WINE: pleasant for an aperitivo, excellent with finger food such as bottarga and basil bruschetta, tempura vegetables or cured meats. It perfectly accompanies first courses of fish and shellfish, delicious with seared scallops and fried fish. Serve in medium-size glasses, not flared, uncork at time of serving, excellent at 6-8°C, tempura vegetables or a cold cuts platter.

WHEN YOU DESIRE TO: Live a sophisticated, sensorial experience. Share your passion for elegant wines with great aging potential. Enjoy a moment of pure beauty.

DIALOGUE WITH ART: An elegant woman, her face lit with a slight smile… how can we not help thinking of Mona Lisa or Lady with an Ermine by Leonardo da Vinci and the many Italian portraits of women in the 1500s. A perfect balance of the elements, including, art, culture, nature. Compared with the very elegant original sketch, made on a wooden board, we just added a few touches of gold foil into the perlage, as beams of light that let us predict all the fine liveliness of its content. 

Produced by Donnafugata Srl - Marsala - Italy