AQUILAE MERLOT .

Wine type red – Terre Siciliane IGP Grapes 100% Merlot Area of production Agrigento, Palermo and Caltanissetta provinces Soil type sandy-silt soils, of medium consistency with an alkaline reaction due to the presence of limestone Altitude of vineyards from 200 m to 600 m a.s.l. Average age of vines 15 years Training system predominantly VSP (vertical shoot positioning), with renewable spurred cordon espalier Plants/hectare 4000 - 5000 Yield/hectare 8 tonnes Harvest end of August, beginning of September Fermentation small steel and cement tanks at 26ºC with 4 daily pump-overs Maceration 6 - 8 days Malolactic fermentation totally carried out Ageing or a short time in small French oak casks Bottle ageing 3 months before release Serving temperature 16°C Suggested glass type medium-sized, balloon-shaped glass Tasting notes Colour vivid and brilliant ruby red, very intense; Bouquet clear and soft notes of red berries, blackcurrant jam, rhubarb, cocoa and rose, leaving space for crunchy nuances of nutmeg, cloves, tobacco and mint; Taste initially velvety, developing into a dense and complex wine, elegant and with a pungent freshness and well-balanced tannins; Food pairing a winner with tagliolini pasta with mushrooms and sausages, rigatoni pasta with hare ragout or braised veal cooked in the very same wine. Excellent with a rare juicy Chianina (T-bone) steak and with the renowned Rossini tournedos (filet mignon). Outstanding with Pecorino di Fossa cheese.