Merlot Casale del Giglio 2021

HISTORICAL NOTES Merlot is originally from Bordeaux. It was introduced in Agro Pontino in the Thirties by the Venetian colonists who reclaimed the Pontine Marshes and in 1966 it was recognized the Denomination of Controlled Origin. Never properly valued in the past, it was, however, subsequently, thanks to the research and experimentation project “Casale del Giglio”, launched in 1985, which made it possible to identify, for this variety, the most suitable combination of rootstocks, clones and training system, in order to obtain high quality grapes. GRAPES AND VINIFICATION It is a pure Merlot obtained, depending on the vintage, with different winemaking techniques to guarantee a constant quality. The vinification can take place in traditional red with pumping over and “délestage”, in order to oxygenate the fermenting must, favoring greater stability of color and tannins, making them soft and velvety. Alternatively, using the submerged cap technique, it is possible to carry out longer macerations (15-20 days), thus obtaining wines with greater structure and duration. After careful racking, where the dripping pomace is moved only by gravity, the new wine is placed in stainless steel tanks where the malolactic fermentation takes place. Subsequently it matures in small oak barrels for 8-12 months and is aged in the bottle for about 180 days.