Recioto di Gambellara Albiba D.O.C. 2009 – Menti
WHITE WINE The art of producing Recioto Gambellara derives from the ancient tradition of making wine typical of the area. The best grapes Garganega grapes, are placed on racks or hung from the rafters, the so-called “PICAI”, in a dry and ventilated rooms where the grapes remain to dry before the pressing and vinification process.
Menti Giovanni and his family still produces this fantastic wine in the old fashion way, see him in action in the video below!
Menti familiy while building the traditional “PICAI” racks to hang grapes to dry.
All works are managed directly by the family, from taking care of the vines to the bottling process (sparkling process included); all wines are obtained with the maximum respect of nature and of Italian traditions.
Grape Variety: 100% Garganega. Terroir: volcanic hillside in Gambellara Classic area. Vineyard are between 25 and 40 years old. Harvest and Vinification System: by hand at the end of September and the beginning of October. The grapes are allowed to dry gently in well ventilated rooms in an old tower from the 1700s for a period of 6 months. Wine Making Process: after having detained the sweetness desired by the wilting, the grapes are pressed down at 2 bar for 8 hours. The juice obtained is about the 20% of the original fresh fruit weight. It is fermented in old allier barriques and stays inside for a period of 10-12 months. Often the stabilisation occurs naturally. Afterwards it is filtered only once and it is bottled straight away.. Organoleptic Characteristics Colour: Intense golden yellow fading to amber Bouquet: Nose is very intense, rich fruity aromas of ripe fruits which fades into the floral bouquet, notes of vanilla. Taste: characteristic, harmonious, semi-sweet, slightly bitter aftertaste, with the possible perception of wood Alcohol Content: 12,5% Vol. Food matching: great meditation wine, match perfectly with ice cream and desserts. Highly suggested with dry or stuffed biscuits.
Valpolicella D.O.C. – Palazzo Maffei
RED WINE: Valpolicella is a red wine created from corvina, molinara, and rondinella grapes in the Veneto region of Italy.
On a hill,at 400 meters of altitude, in between of Illasi castle and the Mezzane valley, in the Valpolicella area, you can find instead the estate of PALAZZO MAFFEI, where we select the grapes destined to the important wine production of AMARONE, RECIOTO, VALPOLICELLA SUPERIORE and RIPASSO. The estate takes the name from the Palazzo Maffei build in 1600, that with its 40 hectares of surrounding land should have made the original country house of the Marchesi Maffei family.
Grape Type: Corvina Veronese, Rondinella, Molinara.
Terroir: from vineyards of Mezzane valley hills, in the Heart of Valpolicella classica zone, with excellent exposure to sunlight and has a limestone soil of Eocene origin.
Wine Making Process:after pressing and a low temperature fermentation, wine is put in barrels for the aging process.A mix of big traditional oak barrels and modern barriques lined up in the centuries old cellars of the winery, contributes to create the perfect balance caracteristic of Palazzo Maffei wines.
Organoleptic Characteristics
Colour: ruby red, medium intensity.
Bouquet:On the nose, it displays perfumes of ripe fruits and spices.
Taste: medium body, pleasant aroma reminiscent of bitter almonds, delicate and velvety palate.
Alcohol Content: 13 % Vol.
Food matching: classic for the whole meal, particularly suitable for risotto, pasta and beans, red and white meat, semi-hard cheeses.
Gallio Torcolato Breganze 2008 D.O.C.
“… Precious …delicious…”. So the poet Aureliano Acanti in 1754 in “Roccolo Ditirambo” guide to wines from Vicenza, described the sweet wine “Passito” of Breganze. Predominantly from grapes Vespaiola dried twisted (“torcolati “) to the beams, is a seductive wine, for meditation, perfect complement to cheeses, pate, biscuits.
Grape Variety: Vespaiola, Garganega, Tokai
Terroir: foothills vineyards location combined with volcanic-tuffaceous soils, which provide excellent water balance that is reflected in the final product.
Vinification System: fermentation in stainless steel tanks at temperature around 22-24°C, yield in must 20-25%.
Wine Making Process: the grapes are harvested by hand and put to dry partly laid on racks, partly hanging from the beams, depending on the type of cluster. The drying process is natural and continues for two to three months depending on the weather of the season, until the sugar concentration reaches 32-34%. The painstaking care in the selection of the clusters takes a long time, but it is the price to pay for having a high quality product. After destemming, which is particularly delicate due to the long drying phase, grapes undergo a slow and gentle pressing to give the wine its characteristic softness. The fermentation process takes place only with the natural enzymes contained in the must, without any additions. Wine is clarified by cooling down to -5/6°C , so there is no need of mechanical filtration and therefore a light settlement of tartaric acid is natural. After aging a year in stainless steel tanks, the wine is bottled. The total production is about 4000 bottles.
The entire process is followed personally by the producer, creating a precious wine from the earth to the glass.
Organoleptic Characteristics
Colour: bright golden to amber colour.
Bouquet: fruity with hints of honey combined with tropical fruit, apricot, peach and citrus.
Taste: with freshness of pure fruit, it is full, elegant, delicate and clean. The high phenolic ripeness accentuates the ripe fruit both on the nose and palate also through a long and persistent aftertaste. Excellent balance between acidity and sugars.
Alcohol Content: 12,5 % Vol
Food matching: cakes and pastries, pate de foie gras and young to medium aged creamy blue cheeses. Classified as a “meditation wine”, it can be also relished on its own.
Aglianico 400 Some D.O.C. – Carbone
RED WINE: This wine is dedicated to Carlo d’Angiò, the great medieval king of Southern Italy. It comes from vineyards in Melfi at the feet of mount Vulture, on a volcanic soil at an altitude of 550 metres. This vintage 2007 has full body and complexity; ripe tannins and long aftertaste.
Grape Type: 100% Aglianico.
Terroir: tuffaceous volcanic soil, rich in minerals.
Wine Making Process: Handpicked grapes between the end of October and beginning of
November. Traditional maceration over skins lasts for 10 days in small steel containers at
controlled temperature. Then the wine is elevated in barriques and refined in bottle for 12
months.
Organoleptic Characteristics
Colour: Ruby red with violet hues.
Bouquet: To the nose, red currant, blackberries and soft spices, like vanilla and cinnamon.
Taste: its soft, elegant structure has a delicate balance between wood and natural tannicity.
This wine is for those who love Aglianico authenticity at its best.
Alcohol Content: 14 % Vol.
Food matching: this wine is perfect with strong tasting traditional dishes from the region of
its origin (i.e. Basilicata): Lamb, red dry peppers dishes. Ideal also with roasts and elaborated
pasta dishes, it sure is a great match to aged cheeses of hews milk like Pecorino.
Aglianico Stupor Mundi D.O.C. 2007 – Carbone
RED WINE: In latin language, was the nickname of Frederick II of Svevia, the great medial Holy Roman emperor who ruled these lands and to whom is dedicated our top wine. This Aglianico Cru comes from the Piani dell’Incoronata vineyards, in Melfi, on a volcanic soil at the feet of mount vulture, exposed to southeast sun, at an altitude of 550 metres.
Grape Variety: 100% aglianico.
Vinification System: maceration over the grape skins for 3 weeks in small steel containers at controlled temperature.
Wine Making Process: late harvest; grapes picked by hand and placed in small boxes between the end of october and beginning of november.
The maiolactic fermentation takes place in new barriques, where the wine rests over 12 months.
Once bottled, it requires bottle refining for 12 months.
Organoleptic Characteristics
Colour: intense ruby red.
Bouquet:intense and complex to the nose, with aroma of underwood, elegantly enriched by notes of soft spices: cinnamon, vanilla, white pepper.
Taste: very persistent, fleshy yet well balanced to the palate.
Dark cherries and blackcurrant flavours open up to toasted notes of coffee and dark chocolate towards the back palate.
Very long finish.
Alcohol Content: 13,5 – 14 % Vol.
Food matching: greatly enjoyable on its own, as wine “of conversation” or “meditation”, it pairs well with egg-pasta dishes dressed in game sauces (such as mare or wild boar), red meat / game roast.
It is also excellent to exalt the taste of seasoned, mature cheeses made with hewes or cows milk.
Rose’ Bardolino Chiaretto D.O.C. – Menegotti
ROSE’ WINE: This rose wine is made from the same grapes of the Amarone but, coming from the Garda lake, is a completely different style from the famous red from Valpolicella.
A pleasant rose, made from a short maceration on the skins (“chiaretto” in fact means lighter red).
It belongs to the D.O.C. Bardolino, typical expression of the red wine from the Garda lake.
Grape Type:Corvina 50%, Rondinella 30%, Molinara 10%, Sangiovese 10%.
Wine Making Process:the vine yards are situated on the hills with morainic terroir, to the south-east side of Garda lake.
Vinification system:short maceration on the skin, then in stainless tanks for three months.
Organoleptic Characteristics
Colour:intense pink.
Bouquet:a light flowery nose of rose hips introduce an explosion of summer berries like cranberry raspberries wild strawberries.
Taste:soft and fruity as a bubble gum expresses a good balance between acidity and roundness. Slightly bitter finish.
Alcohol Content:12% Vol.
Food matching:cured meats, grilled fish and barbecued sausages.
BUY 6 get 1 FREE. Rose’ Bardolino Chiaretto D.O.C. – Menegotti
BUY 6 get 1 FREE: This rose wine is made from the same grapes of the Amarone but, coming from the Garda lake, is a completely different style from the famous red from Valpolicella.
A pleasant rose, made from a short maceration on the skins (“chiaretto” in fact means lighter red).
It belongs to the D.O.C. Bardolino, typical expression of the red wine from the Garda lake.
Grape Type:Corvina 50%, Rondinella 30%, Molinara 10%, Sangiovese 10%.
Wine Making Process:the vine yards are situated on the hills with morainic terroir, to the south-east side of Garda lake.
Vinification system:short maceration on the skin, then in stainless tanks for three months.
Organoleptic Characteristics
Colour:intense pink.
Bouquet:a light flowery nose of rose hips introduce an explosion of summer berries like cranberry raspberries wild strawberries.
Taste:soft and fruity as a bubble gum expresses a good balance between acidity and roundness. Slightly bitter finish.
Alcohol Content:12% Vol.
Food matching:cured meats, grilled fish and barbecued sausages.






