Ethics is respect for the rules that allow us to create our Classic Method.
Since 1905, when Angelo Ballabio founded the company, he embarked on a virtuous viticultural path that aimed at cultivating the best grapes, in order to produce excellent wines while respecting nature. Currently the entire vineyard area of the company is 48 hectares. Our vines are managed with an agronomic regime with a very low environmental impact, respecting the vegetative cycle of the plant and the natural characteristics of the soil, with the aim of producing perfectly healthy grapes and wines that reflect the identity of our land. Over the years the best limestone vineyards have been identified that best express the characteristics of the territory and the grape variety.
The cultivation of the grapes takes place under strict control in all the phenological phases of the plant until it reaches the physiological ripeness. For fifteen days, starting from the end of July, every week before and daily then, the progress of the maturation of each single vineyard is analyzed analytically in order to organize the harvest in the best possible time. The grapes are harvested manually by making a strict selection and transported quickly to the cellar in boxes of about twenty kilograms.
The pressing of the grapes harvested in boxes is timely and the management of the pneumatic presses is very rigorous in order to select only the “heart” of the must, discarding the first fraction derived from crushed grapes during transport and keeping the second part, up to a maximum of 45% based on the characteristics of the vintage. In this phase each vineyard is pressed and vinified separately, in order to respect the characteristics of each terroir. The musts thus obtained, rich in acidity and with a low pH (about 3.00), are naturally decanted without the addition of clarifiers and after a day inoculated with our yeast strain selected for the purpose.
The wines are scrupulously followed in the slow fermentation which takes place mainly in steel and, for some parcels, in 700-liter tonneaux. Refinement on its lees follows to add structure, longevity and aromatic complexity.
In spring the Cuvée Farfalla are prepared, blending the wines from the last harvest with wines from previous harvests (Reserve Wines), stored and aged in steel up to an incidence of over 20% on the final volume. After the tirage, normally carried out towards the end of May, the residence time on the yeasts must be at least 30 months up to 90 months for the reserves.
During this step, each bottle is stored at a controlled temperature and in the total absence of light.
After the dégorgement the bottles remain in the cellar for a minimum of 60 days before being marketed; this stay allows the wines to rest after the shock of uncorking and to rediscover the natural balance for a perfect presentation for tasting.
