Contrada C 2013
As opposed to the 2012 vintage, which was a hot and dry year, 2013 was quite cold and rainy throughout the growing season. We waited until the middle of October to start tasting the red grapes in the vineyards, but everything was still quite unripe: there was still a taste of greenness in the grapes after the cold summer. However, at the end of October, we had almost a week of warm weather, which helped the grapes to reach maturation. The berries were small but healthy, with dark skins.
Once in the cellar, the musts had an acidic quality, with intense and dark fruits, very different from the bright, round, and rich 2012. For Barolo lovers, 2013 is a vintage not to miss, because of its austerity and elegance, freshness and intensity.
Chiappemacine is richer and denser for the year, dominated by its ripe red fruits. We picked in this Contrada on the 25th of October.
Vineyard age: 80 years
Vineyard area: 1.3 hectares
Vineyard density: 8,000 vines per Ha
Vineyard altitude: 550 m/1,000 ft a.s.l.
Yield per hectare: 20 Hl/Ha
Fertilization: None
Spraying: Clay, propolis, sulphur, copper, grapefruit seed extract
Vinification: Alcoholic fermentation in stainless steel vats for 15 days
Aging: Malolactic fermentation followed by 18 months aging in large, neutral oak barrels
Bottling: Waning moon of April 2015
Production: 2,700
REVIEWS
Ian D’Agata, Vinous Media, 91 points: “Bright red. Crisp red berries and a pungent floral note on the nose. Then rich and round in the mouth, with nicely delineated, almost sweet red fruit and floral flavors dominating. This medium-bodied wine finishes tangy, focused and long. Contrada C stands for Chiappemacine, a vineyard area located at an altitude of 550 meters, featuring sandy and volcanic soils and planted to 80-year-old vines.”
Monica Larner, Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate, 91 points: “The 2013 Contrada C sees fruit sourced from the Chiappemacine single vineyard. This is a deep and sophisticated red wine from Etna that opens to a light garnet color. The bouquet is redolent of volcanic aromas of ash and dusty soil. Indeed, the primary fruit is tucked in at the back and appears with moderate intensity. This wine feels very silky and lean in texture but the finish is impressive in terms of length. It is aged in large oak casks for 18 months. Only 2,700 bottles were released. (Drinking window: 2017-2026)”
Wine Enthusiast, 93 points: “Perfumed berry, fragrant blue flower, cake spice and leather are just some of the alluring scents you find on this firmly structured red. The elegant, full-bodied palate offers red cherry, raspberry, clove, menthol and licorice alongside a backbone of tightly wound but refined tannins and bright acidity. Give this a few more years to fully develop. Drink 2019–2025.”
100% Nerello Mascalese
