Chardonnay Barricato 40 DOC

Neil and Maria Empson created Bollini to fill a gap in the market for quality wines from the Alpine foothills of Friuli and Trentino in 1979. Their goal was to showcase the excellence and consistency of international varieties grown in Italy’s cool northeastern regions, while keeping the prices affordable. Choice hillside locations, ideal day/night temperature swings, good ventilation and the complexity and minerality that come from the soil, all contribute to achieving concentrated, highly extracted fruit. What makes this wine especially interesting is its blend 40% of the wine is fermented in French-oak barrels and goes through malolactic fermentation to give it creamier sensations.
The grapes for Barricato 40 are carefully selected by hand and cold macerated. The grapes are hand-picked and cold macerated. About 60% of the must is fermented in stainless-steel tanks while 40% (hence the name, Barricato 40) ferments in new French oak barrique, for about two weeks. After fermentation, the stainless-steel portion is racked, and 40% undergoes malolactic fermentation. Before blending, the wine ages on its lees, with constant bâtonnage to enhance complexity. In early spring, the final blend is assembled. The result is a creamy and structured Chardonnay.