basics

V i n e y a r d s
12 hectares (30 acres), of which 4 hectares (10 acres) in the “Collio” D.O.C. district and 8 hecatres (20 acres) in the “Colli Orientali del Friuli” D.O.C. district, all owned. Mostly whites of the old local varieties Tocai, Verduzzo and Malvasia; reds are of the Merlot variety.

V i n e a g e
40 to 60 years and over.

P l a n t i n g d e n s i t y
2500 vines per hectare (1000 vines per acre). These are old traditional vineyards on steep hillside slopes (40% average gradient).

Y i e l d s
2 to 3 tons of fully ripened, handpicked grapes per hectare (0.8 to 1,25 tons per acre).

P r o d u c t i o n
25 to 35,000 bottles. Only one white and a red one are produced in each DOC district (one vineyard, one wine), i.e.
Brazan (Collio DOC): 7-10,000 bottles white (Tocai/Malvasia blend) and 2-3,000 red (Merlot).
Galea (Colli Or.del Friuli DOC): 12-16,000 white (Tocai/Verduzzo blend) and 4-6,000 red (Merlot).

F e r m e n t a t i o n
In stainless steel, at controlled cool temperatures. Activated and conducted by the grapes' own yeasts only, including naturally-occurring malolactic fermentation. For whites no pellicular maceration and slow fermentation to January/February. For reds, 4 to 5 weeks maceration and moderate remontages.

C e l l a r t r e a t m e n t
Time is the main treatment. No inoculations of yeasts or chemical agents for stimulating or speeding up fermentation. The wine is left on its lees for at least two years to stabilize - in the following autumn it may ferment again to burn off one or two grams of residual sugar - and clarify, then it is bottled and laid down for some months, being offered for sale at minimum three years of age. No racking, no oak (white wine), no filtering. Bottling is done by hand - both filling and corking.