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Wine Description
The Story
Maximo is a wine which is certainly unique on the regional oenological horizon, being the product of climatic conditions which them- selves can be called unique. It is made in the highest part of the Villa Bianchi estate. Here, thanks to the very special climatic conditions caused by the alternation of high humidity and drier airflows, at fairly low temperatures, the Sauvignon Blanc grapes are at- tacked by Botrytis Cinerea in its most ‘noble’ form. This gives the wine incredibly complex and rare flavours and aromas.
First vintage: 1992
Vineyards: The vineyard occupies about two hectares. It is trained on the Guyot system and has a planting density of 4270 vines per hectare. It faces north, on the crest of a hill, at 180 meters above sea level, and lies on not very deep alluvial soil (holocene formations), with a considerable proportion of gravel, which promotes good drainage of the excess water. The yield per hectare is extremely low and rarely reaches 2 tons.
The entire holding focuses on the three sides of a small hill. Its slopes are covered with rows of vines and on top is Villa Bianchi, the recently restructured farmhouse belonging to the Bianchi-Bernetti family. Villa Bianchi is set aside for hospitality and its modern, fully equipped tasting room is a favourite stop for wine tourists. The vineyard extends over ten hectares and was planted in the first half of the Seventies before being replanted from 1989 onwards using innovative vineyard management techniques.
Villa Bianchi was also responsible for the first vintage of Plenio, one of the finest Verdicchio selections and the result of a bold, distinctly unfashionable decision for the time to plant at a density of 3,700 vines per hectare. Today, Plenio is produced at Cupramontana. Another of the excellent bottles from Villa Bianchi is Maximo, a wine from botrytised Sauvignon Blanc grapes that came into being almost by accident. Maximo is sourced from a two-hectare vineyard originally planted to less well-regarded red-skinned varieties which were regrafted with Sauvignon Blanc. The experiment was very successful and the rows were replanted to the same variety using modern vineyard management techniques. Here, the nature of the terrain with its gravelly patches, the north-facing aspect and site climate, which is dry throughout September and into October, cold and damp from mid October on, all encourage the noble rot that enables us to obtain this wine.
Harvest: The harvest is carried out by hand, with the grapes collected and transported in boxes. It is performed in at least three passes. Selection of the grapes is a very delicate matter. The object is to pick only those bunches, or portions of bunches, which have reached the right degree of concentration (30-35° on the Babo sugar meter) as a result of the attack by some varieties of noble rot. Often, the last pass does not take place till the middle of December.
Winemaking: The grapes are pressed whole by means of a small, gentle press. After static decantation, the resulting must is fermented on its own yeasts at a temperature of 15°C for a month. Maximo then ages for about a year in small stainless steel containers before being bottled.
Winemaker's tasting notes: A magnificent golden colour streaked with amber tints. On the nose it expresses distinct scents of honey, apricot and peach, followed by aromas of ripe fig, candied fruit and citrus. Rich in the mouth, where the elegant acidity fluidifies the sweetness, soft and balanced with clean, refreshing persistence, and notes of candied fruit and honey continually running through it.
Serving glass: Small-sized goblet, with wide body and narrow opening, so as to favour the development of aromas and their concentration in the nose.
