Villa Pattono Monferrato Rosso Doc 2010

Villa Pattono is the name of the old country villa belonging to our family ancestors from Costigliole d'Asti. Already back at the beginning of the last Century, our great grandmother produced a "house wine," resulting from an "assemblage" of the grapes coming from the various vineyards surrounding the villa. It was our wish, therefore to carry on this old family tradition of uniting the personality of Barbera, (the zone's most typical variety), with the fruit of other vines such as Cabernet for its body and Merlot for its elegance. The percentages of the "assemblage" may vary depending on the year, but a predominance of Barbera is always maintained.

Variety: Barbera, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot

1st vintage: 1982

Characteristics of the vineyard
Location: vineyards situated at Villa Pattono outside Costigliole d'Asti (in the Monferrat zone)
Exposure: Southeast and Southwest
Altitude: 650 ft
Average age of productive vines: 20 years
Cultivation system: classic Guyot
Density per hectare: approx 5,500 vines
Average yield: 45 Hl/Ha
Soil: clayey with streaks of sand

Harvest period
Between the 27th and the 28th of September, 2010

Vinification
Destemmed and crushed
Thermo-controlled fermentation at a temperature of 30°C (85°F)
Average time of maceration: 6-7 days
Malolactic fermentation in November, in barriques
Refinement: one year in French oak barriques
Bottling: February 2011
Number of bottles produced: 5,000 bottles of 750 ml, 100 Magnums of 1.5 lt.

Longevity of wine
15 to 20 years

Analytical data
Alcoholic content: 14.5%
Total acidity: 5.52 g/l

Tasting notes
Intense, ruby red.
Bouquet of ripe plum with an undercurrent of spices (pepper) and licorice.
Flavorful and full-bodied, pleasing and elegant with good persistence.

Food matches
A wine suited for important first courses and red meats.