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Wine Description
The Story
Plenio is our Verdicchio Riserva, a class recognised by the production rulebook, which prescribes a minimum ageing period of 18 months of which at least six must be in bottle. The name of the wine, from the Latin Plenum, is intended to suggest the characteristics of fullness, complexity and structure. It is a wine to be appreciated for its lingering persistence and for its richness of perfumes and aromas, which combine with the elegance of great whites to make it a unique wine. The first few years were produced from a plot in the Villa Bianchi vineyard, but now Plenio is the product of vines grown at higher altitude, in one of the areas historically regarded as more suitable for the production of Verdicchio, near the picturesque village of Cupramontana.
First vintage: 1995
Vineyards: The vineyard was planted in the early 90s, and is situated at about 350 meters above sea level, with an east-facing aspect. The soil, which derives from formations from the pleiocene-pleistocene era, is characterised by being very deep clay loam, with fairly poor fertility and therefore extremely suitable for the production of quality wines. The yield is in the region of 6-7 tons per hectare.
One of the finest spots there is for making Verdicchio, Torre was acquired by the Bianchi Bernetti family in 2001 to enhance the winery’s production potential for the variety. This plot of barely nine hectares is located in the municipality of Cupramontana on the right bank of the Esino river.
Harvest: The harvest is carried out by hand, with the grapes collected and transported in boxes. Normally it takes place on the borderline between the first and second ten days in October, when the grapes have reached an optimum balance between acidity and sugar content.
Winemaking: After a soft pressing, the prime must is rapidly cooled and then goes through static decantation. Fermentation takes place a part (60%) in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks, and the rest (40%) in 5000 litre oak casks. About 10-15% of the total volume of the wine undergoes a malolactic fermentation. The ageing stage lasts about 12 months, during which the wine remains in contact with its own fermentation yeasts. Plenio completes its ageing with a further 6 months in bottle.
Winemaker's tasting notes: A wine of exceptional substance combined with great refinement. The colour is deep straw yellow with golden tints; on the nose it reveals itself as fresh and penetrating with slight vanilla overtones of ripe fruit, bitter almonds and aromatic herbs, and a typical note of aniseed which is a hallmark of its vineyard of origin. In the mouth it matches the nose very well, with a fresh attack and pleasant softness, balanced however by the alcohol, velvety, rich, with a very long and persistent finish recalling apples, sloes and almonds.
Serving glass: Goblet of medium size and roughly spherical shape, to allow better appreciation of the complex aromas. A straight opening will enhance the flavour of the wine in the mouth, by directing it first to the sides and rear of the tongue, and then to the tip, and allow its softness to be properly evaluated.
