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.


Wine exported to

Hong Kong, Bermuda, United Kingdom, Canada, USA, Norway, Holland, Singapore, Japan, Ireland, Serbia, Australia, Barbados, Austria, Paraguay

Most recent awards

  • 2020 | Luca Maroni93
  • 2019 | James Suckling90
Grape Varieties:

100% Chardonnay

Fermentation container:

60% stainless steel, 40% oak barrels

Length of alcoholic fermentation:

15 days

Type of yeast:

Selected

Fermentation temperature:

14-16 °C (57.2-60.8° F)

Length of maceration:

A few hours

Malolactic fermentation:

40% of wine

Fining agent:

Bentonite

Aging containers:

60% stainless steel, 40% oak barrels

Container size:

225 L barrique, 20-60 hL

Container age:

New

Type of oak:

French (Allier, Nevers and Tronçais)

Bottling period:

February/March

Aging before bottling:

7 months

Aging in bottle:

A few weeks

Closure:

Diam/screw cap

Organic:

No

Soil composition:

Stony, alluvial soil

Vine training:

Pergola and Guyot

Altitude:

200 - 400 meters (656-1,312 feet) above sea level

Vine density:

4,000-5,000 vines per hectare

Yield:

85 HL

Exposure:

South/southeastern

Age of vines:

15 - 25 year and older

Time of harvest:

Beginning of September

First vintage of this wine:

1981

Total yearly production (in bottles):

36,000

Tasting notes:

Straw yellow with golden reflections and a fruity nose with aromas ranging from honey to vanilla and exotic fruit; full and well balanced on the palate, with a long, consistent finish.

Serving temperature:

Best served at 10-12 °C (50-53.6 °F).

Food pairings:

Ideal with fish and white meat; very versatile.

Aging potential:

Best to enjoy the freshness in its youth, but keeps well for a couple of years.

Alcohol:

Alcohol cont. by volume: 13%;

Winemaker:

Franco Bernabei with Neil Empson