Our Buttafuoco Storico Vigna Sacca del Prete is one of the 15 wines of the Buttafuoco Storico Club. The club is an association of winegrowers whose mission is to promote the historical crus of Buttafuoco, a red wine from indigenous grapes produced in only 7 towns in th easter part of Oltrepò Pavese.
GRAPES: Croatina (60%), Barbera (30%), Uva Rara (5%) and Ughetta di Canneto (5%) grown in an estate vineyard named Sacca del Prete and located in Canneto Pavese at an altitude of about 250-300 m AMSL. Planting of the vineyard started in 1990 and was completed in 1997; in 2007 the grapes were used to produce this buttafuoco Storico for the first time.
VINEYARD MANAGEMENT: sustainable farming practices, grass cover crops in the vineyard, no use of herbicides or chemical fertilisers. The vineyard is not irrigated.
TRAINING SYSTEM: Guyot
YELD: about 7 tons per hectare (juice yield: 45%).
HARVEST: the grapes are hand-harvested in the last week of Spetember.
VINIFICATION: the grapes are destemmed and crushed. The alcoholic fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled concrete vats and is started using indigenous yeasts. The must is pumped over and punched down every 2 days until the end of the fermentation. After a long maceration (45 days minimum), the must is racked in 225 liters and 500 liters Massif Central oak barrels. The malolactic fermentation is dome in the barrels. Finally, the wine ages for 3 years in oak and for a minimum of 6 months in bottle.
TASTING NOTES: deep ruby red colour; complex nose with notes of boozy red fruits, spices, coffee and balsamic hints; full-bodied and warm on palate.
SUGGEST PAIRINGS: excellent on game, wild boar, grilled red meat, boiled and stewed meat. It can be successfully tried also on mild aged cheese.
SERVICE TEMPERATURE: 18°C
ANALYTICAL DATA AT BOTTLING:
Alcohol: 15.0% vol.
Residual sugar: 3.0 g/l
Total acidity: 6.5 g/l
Added sulphites: 45 mg/l
FIRST VINTAGE: 2007