Producer
The four Cesconi brothers have transformed their family estate in the village of Pressano, in the past decade. Whereas they previously sold all their fruit to the co-op at Lavis, today they are making some of Italy’s most exciting white wines. All their vineyards are now farmed organically and biodynamically. Stylistically, their whites are more intense and perfumed than those from Friuli and slightly lighter, without the weight or fat that some of the top Friuli wines have. Their reds, on the other hand, have more weight than their Friulian counterparts.
Vineyards
The Lagrein grapes are grown on the flat land of Pressano, where soils are deep and loose. The vines are pergola trained, with a density of 3,500 vines per hectare. The Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Teroldego are grown in the Sarca valley, between the villages of Ceniga and Dro, 13 kilometres north of Lake Garda, at an altitude of 120 metres above sea level. Soils here are moderately chalky with 30% clay. The vines are on average 20 years old, both Guyot and pergola trained, planted at an average density of 4,000 per hectare.
Vinification
The grapes were hand picked, partly destemmed and partly left as whole bunches. Fermentation took place over eight days in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats between 25-30°C before it underwent further maceration, 10 days for the Lagrein and Teroldego and 20 days for the Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine was then transferred into 225 litre French oak barrels (of which 20-30% was new oak) for 12 months during which time malolactic fermentation took place. After bottling the wine was aged for a further six months prior to release.