James Suckling 90
Some yellow and green apple notes as well as hints of flint. Light to medium body, fresh acidity and a green-apple finish.

Vintage report
After a mild winter with little rainfall, Spring followed in similar fashion with slightly higher than seasonal average temperatures. Between May and June, the average temperatures fell and rainfall was abundant. July was the hottest and driest month, resulting in our stepping in to support the plants through irrigation work and superficial soil work. August and September were extraordinary months both for their temperature and humidity. The growing, veraison and ripening phases progressed at a steady, regular pace and the grapes harvested were perfect. The 2016 growing season will surely be long-remembered for the significant day-night temperature variations, especially from the end of August to the end of September, which also contributed to an excellent concentration of aromatic elements and a balanced grape yield per hectare. The Pinot Grigio grapes harvested in early September were beautiful and possessed a higher sugar concentration than that found in previous years.

Characteristics of the production area
ORIGIN: The vineyards are located among the plains and hills of the province of Gorizia
ALTITUDE: 60 metres asl
EXPOSURE: South, Southeast, West
SOIL TYPE: Eocene marls and sandstones created by seabed uplifting 50 million years ago
PLANTING DENSITY: 4.000/6.250 vines per hectare
TRAINING SYSTEM: double arched cane and Guyot
VINEYARD AVERAGE AGE: planted in 2001

Food pairing
This versatile Pinot Grigio makes for a delicious aperitif wine, and is the perfect partner to rich salads, pasta dishes and fish-based mains. It is superb with any summery dish.
Tasting notes
The wine is a very luminous, light yellow-gold. The bouquet, inviting and well-defined, releases crisp citrus scents that alternate with ripe apricot, enriched with elegant floral impressions of hawthorn and acacia blossom. The supple palate offers exemplary crispness and a vibrant fruitiness.

Technical notes
YIELD/HECTARE: 7 tons
HARVEST: Early September
HARVEST METHOD: manual
FERMENTATION CONTAINERS: stainless steel, new and used barriques
FERMENTATION TEMPERATURE: 15Celsius - 18
DURATION OF FERMENTATION: 15 days
MATURATION METHOD: stainless steel
LENGTH OF MATURATION: 4 months in stainless steel, only 20% of the production in barriques for 2 months, one month in bottle