The Terroir

Cime di AltiliA, a sparkling wine from the mountains, draws its character and AltiliA, a sparkling wine from the mountains, draws its character and attributes from the soil and climate. The geographical characteristics mostly exclude the use of machines and impose manual work in the vineyard, so that the vine grows in contact with the human hand.This is how the best grapes ripen on the better-exposed slopes at the foot of the mountain, providing the base of the wine; the work of the oenologist transforms it, in compliance with the specifications prescribed by TRENTODOC, into the prized sparkling wine.

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Trentodoc: the traditional method

The production of sparkling wine by the traditional method requires a long and complex procedure, committing the cellars for years. Starting from the base wine, which according to the regulations can only be obtained from Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier grapes, the next phase is that of the tirage, in which select yeasts and sugars are added to the wine, which starts the phase of second fermentation in the bottle. During this period in bottles, which rest in the darkness of the cellars, the carbon dioxide that produces the famous bubbles is formed: it is the prise de mousse. A long period follows in which the sparkling wine rests in contact with the yeasts: from 15 months to obtain a Brut, to over 36 months for a Reserve, according to the regulations. The rémuage, which is the combined gradual inclination and rotation of the bottles, serves tomake the lees or residual yeasts fall towards the cork, so that they can be easily eliminated at the time of disgorgement, or dégorgement: this is the conclusion of the long process, the moment in which the winemaker's hand gives the sparkling wine, adding liqueur d'éxpedition, its distinctive stamp, the one that will make it stand out from the rest.

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