In this blend, the soft blackberry fruit of the Merlot blends harmoniously with the  characteristic red cherry character of the Corvina. This wine is fresh, bright and well-balanced.

About the Producer

Working with leading New Zealand winemaker, Matt Thomson, the aim was to work with growers (rather than buy bulk wine, which is standard among most wines from Verona at this price) to obtain ripe grapes (by reducing yields and picking later) and then, using Matt's expertise, preserve these flavours in the finished wines. The result is a realisation of the potential inherent in Veronese viniculture.

Vineyard and Winery

Fruit for this Merlot and Corvina blend is sourced from vineyards situated next to the Soave zone in the Val d‘Alpone. The Merlot is grown on the warm, sheltered plains on clay soils, and the Corvina in the foothills on tufaceous basalt soils. All of the vineyards have excellent exposure, which helps to ensure complete ripeness.

The grapes were hand harvested, destemmed, crushed and pumped into stainless steel tanks. 25% of the juice was drained from the tank in order to increase the ratio of skins to juice, resulting in a wine with greater colour and flavour. The wine was pumped over the cap every hour in the early stages to increase extraction further. It was left in contact with the skins for four to five days and fermentation took place at temperatures up to 30°C. After pressing, the wine was aged in stainless steel tanks until bottling.