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vendemmia 2023

The harvest Tenuta Montemagno 2023

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Article written in collaboration with Roberto Nantiat and Gianfranco Cordero, winemakers of Tenuta Montemagno

It was already understood since last 2022 that this would be a particular year for the cultivation and harvest of the 2023 grapes, remembered as a difficult year due to the extreme drought which compromised part of the vineyards, forcing some wineries to intervene on the plants and replant the cuttings in order to recover, in future years, what water scarcity has caused. But despite these warning signals, 2023 was able to surprise us again, for a strong variability of the climatic conditions that affected the cultivation starting from the winter and which continued until the summer.

Let’s summarize the situation with Roberto Nantiat the winemaker who, with Gianfranco Cordero, follows the works at Tenuta Montemagno, to understand the trend of 2023, with a focus on the harvest just terminated and on what the wines resulting from this harvest will be like.

Vendemmia 2023

“This is a particular vintage” Roberto says “but we could already understand it from how spring and summer were; from an extreme period of drought we moved to a semi-resolution during the months of June and early July, to return to another situation of stress due to the high temperatures reached from the beginning to mid-August”.

During this period, for about two weeks, the thermometer marked 40°/45° C with average night-time values always above 30° C. The effect on the plants was the blocking of photosynthesis and therefore the ripening of bunches. So on August 22nd, ahead of the traditional calendar, the Sauvignon harvest began.

“We decided to race against time to prevent these grapes, which are very sensitive to climatic conditions, from burning. Sauvignon, in fact, due to the strong heat can “burn” and produce oxidation which, in turn, could lead to a loss of those aromas that are very important for the varietal”.

The choice to carry out an early harvest was also dictated by the desire to maintain a good quality of the grapes, to the detriment of the volumes harvested.

uva

“At the end of August we had three days of heavy rain”, Roberto continues. “This restored the water balance of the plants. The grapes have started to swell again, the ripening has resumed its course, and the vegetation has therefore also regained the natural colour of the period; from a green with a rather dull brightness it returned to a beautiful dark green, a signal indicating the resumption of photosynthesis”.

Vendemmia 2023

From that moment on, the harvest resumed, first with Barbera grapes for the vinification of TM Brut and then with Syrah, used for the Violae label (blend of Syrah and Barbera). Syrah vinification shows a particularly intense colour, an interesting structure and, therefore, a good concentration.

During the month of September the harvest continued with the Timorasso, which reached perfect ripeness thanks to the heavy rains at the end of August, used for Solis Vis, and Nymphae.

“Now (mid-September, ed.), we are harvesting the Barbera grapes, destined for the vinification of the Austerum reds and Mysterium, that are offering the same quality as always with greater softness and freshness. Soon we will continue with the Ruchè grapes for Nobilis, while the harvest for Invictus, the Ruché made with a late harvest, will occur two weeks later”.

Summing up the 2023 harvest of Tenuta Montemagno, we can therefore state that it is characterized by reduced volumes, good quality of the harvested bunches and excellent conditions for winemaking.

TMM relais estate

White, fresh, still, Tenuta Montemagno wines for summer

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Summer is synonymous with long, sunny days, evenings with friends and aperitifs to spend moments in pleasant company … also with a good glass of wine, preferably white, fresh and with a wide bouquet of aromas.

The combination of “beautiful season, glass of fresh white wine” has always marked the most cheerful and convivial moments.

White wines have the gift of being able to mitigate the summer heat thanks to their freshness, aromaticity and, in some cases, distinct minerality capable of making drinking extremely pleasant.

In a land of important red wines (Ruché, Barbera, Grignolino), the many varieties of Tenuta Montemagno white wines stand out, capable of delighting the senses with their fruity, aromatic and savory notes, discovering endless possibilities for experiences and pairings.

Nypmhae is a blend of Sauvignon and Timorasso grapes grown in the estate’s vineyards with south/southwest exposure. The combination of these grapes results in a wine that is exclusive for its richness of sensations on the palate and nose (characteristics of the Sauvignon grape variety), with an important minerality given by the soil rich in sodium, magnesium and potassium, typical of Timorasso grapes.

This Sauvignon gives intense notes of citrus and exotic fruit, where the passion fruit stands out in particular, while the Timorasso gives off delicate mineral and flint notes. It is an intense, complex and very pleasant white wine.

Its structure, complex and firm, makes it a wine with a good capacity for aging, very versatile in pairings, so much so that it is a great classic for structured aperitifs and Sunday brunches.

TMM Nymphae
TMM Musae

Musae, is the fruit of Sauvignon Blanc and Sauvignon Gris (mutation of Sauvignon Blanc characterized by the pink berry) grapes, vinified in purity. This label stands out for its ample aromatic notes and taste persistence. It is a smooth and firm wine on the palate. Elegant and with pleasant freshness, it stands out for the great intensity of aromas, we find a lot of citrus but also acacia flowers and honey, savory and with great persistence and intensity.

As summer approaches, it is the perfect wine, served at a temperature of 10°-12°, to accompany the simplest aperitifs and fish dishes, even raw.

Solis Vis is the Piedmontese white wine, made from Timorasso grapes, capable of conveying sensations and emotions that have nothing to envy to those of the finest red wines. For the longevity it can achieve, we can safely call it a white wine with the soul of a great red. Solis Vis is a particular label, it gives intense mineral notes the delicate scent of freshly cut pear and a unique sapidity and intensity, its persistence is truly amazing, this white is able to reach important gradations and to accompany dishes characterized by a strong personality: from seasoned and tasty cheeses typical of Piedmontese production, to cod, shellfish up to foie gras escalopes and spiced poultry, without forgetting the traditional “vitello tonnato”, a typical recipe of the territory.

TM Solis Vis

Nymphae, Musae, Solis Vis from Tenuta Montemagno are the perfect wines to let yourself be transported into an unforgettable experience, with the infinite aromatic nuances and heady freshness that only whites born in a land of important reds, can give.

To taste unusual pairings or the classics of Monferrato cuisine with our summer labels, come visit us at the Civetta sul Comò restaurant, or buy our wines directly to pair with your recipes.

All Tenuta Montemagno wines are available in our online shop.

vendemmia timoroso 2022

Work in vineyard and cellar: the harvest 2022

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Article written in collaboration with Roberto Nantiat and Gianfranco Cordero, winemakers of Tenuta Montemagno

The harvest, as we know, is one of the most awaited moments for wine producers. The final result of the harvest is destined to end up on the tables and tasting counters, to crown the sublime love story that unites man and nature. In Tenuta Montemagno the 2022 harvest has just ended. Begun at the end of August, with the harvest of the Sauvignon grapes, it ended more or less four weeks later.

This year the work was particularly demanding due to the severe drought that characterized the summer of 2022. During the summer months, as we described in the previous article, we worked to ensure that the vines best overcome the stress caused by dry land and water scarcity.

These operations led to the desired outcome and the rows entered the harvest period in the best state of health. However, during the harvest it was noted that the ripening of the grapes was uneven. For this reason we proceeded to make a careful selection of the rows and the individual bunches to be harvested, carrying out the operation at the right time. 

The fact of having brought to the cellar uneven bunches in the maturation, allowed to have, in the whole harvest, a more balanced product: not too alcoholic and, at the same time, not too low in acidity. This is why Tenuta Montemagno’s technicians are extremely satisfied with this vintage. Also from the quantity point of view there is satisfaction as we obtain a harvest equal to that of last year.

At the time of writing this article, the alcoholic fermentation and winemaking operations are almost complete; shortly we will proceed with malolactic fermentation, which serves to transform malic acid into lactic acid and to reduce the presence of residual sugars present after alcoholic fermentation.

This is one of the final stages before the product from the last harvest got goes to rest in the tanks and, for the reds, in the barrels, and gives life to the final wines.

We conclude by stating that the expectations on the quality of the 2022 harvest are very high. A very atypical vintage, even for the most experienced operators who have been working in the wine sector for some time, but which will lead to obtain, at least as regards Tenuta Montemagno, high quality wines balanced between acidity and alcohol content.

Timorasso TMM

SOLIS VIS: the Sun Force

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The idea of naming the wines of own production with Latin names was born in Tiziano Barea, Tenuta Montemagno’s owner, from the desire to emphasize the identity, history, tradition but above all,  to connote the great evocative force.

The Timorasso, already fascinating for its history, its typicality and its character, becomes among the white wines of Tenuta Montemagno assortment, what best represents the Sun Force – Solis Vis:

Solis Vis TMM
  • For its color – light straw yellow with golden nuances and greenish hints
  • For its  expressive power
  • For its unique identity

Then, it becomes THE white, among the white wines.

In this part of Monferrato, in Montemagno, formed by gentle hills characterized by marl, at an altitude of 260 meters above sea level, the Timorasso finds a fertile soil and suitable for cultivation also for the high mineral and saline content, legacy of the presence of the sea of millions of years ago.

The exposure of the vineyards south/south-west, the vine’s cultivation system in guyot, the limited yield per hectare, manual processing and treatments in respect of the environment, ensure the quality in the vineyard. In the cellar, the production process involves the vinification in white, with soft pressing of the grapes and subsequent fermentation in stainless steel, where the wine ages on the lees for a few months. After bottling, Solis Vis ages in bottle for some time. 

Solis Vis is a wine of character, identity and out of the chorus of whites, for its marked mineral notes, for its structure and body, for its persistence.

The vintage that we have available is 2020: what a surprise and what a charm!

The harvest opened at the beginning of September about a week earlier than the historical average.

The values of the sugar gradations and the acidity levels have proved to be on average lower than in the past, but have remained stable in the wine making thus ensuring an extreme balance between the two components, fundamental result for this type of wine.

Vigna Timorasso

Solis Vis 2020 has a bouquet of ample floral notes, of acacia honey, hawtorn that, gently and slowly evolve and give space to the minerality typical fo Timorasso grape, enriched by th ehints of flinstone, which is the most distinctive fragrance of this wine. In the mouth it maintains freshness and sapidity, well balanced by moderate acidity. The palate is pleasing, persistent and rich, allowing the perception of all the typical gustatory notes of the grape.

The TM production method guarantees the low sulphite content of 89 mg/l..

This is Tenuta Montemagno’s interpretation of Timorasso: the autochthonous vine that is so unique as to be called the Barolo of whites, so authentic that it does not compromise with its own identity.

It is contemporary, innovative and, above all, international.

Solis Vis is a win/win wine. Always.

vigneto Solis Vis

Solis Vis, the Piedmontese white wine with the character of a red

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Solis Vis, the wine made with Timorasso grape by Tenuta Montemagno, year after year gains worldwide medals and prizes as the confirmation of the careful work in the vineyards, conducted by the agronomist Maurizio Cerrato and the meticulous vinification process under the supervision of Gianfranco Cordero, the enologist, in cellar.

TMM Solis Vis

The appreciation of the peculiarities of this wine expressed by the fans and also the critics is the proof that Tenuta Montemagno went for the right choice to cultivate this rare and challenging grape in this corner of Monferrato. The consumers discover this wine especially for its versatility with the food pairings, that are unusual and astonishing.

The menu of the restaurant “La Civetta sul Comò”, located in the elegant Torre salon of Tenuta Montemagno, proposes recipes that are able to valorize our wines’ production and to lead you in a complete immersion of the Monferrato’s tastes and perfumes.

Among the innovative recipes of the executive chef Giampiero Vento, we suggest to try as starter the fish dish of Palamita in carpione (marinated), with green sauce and crispy salted almonds.

The Palamita is a fish of the Mediterranean Sea – “Mare Nostrum”, very rich of Omega3; the meat is very tasty, softened by the carpionatura and enhanced by the scent of almonds.

The minerality typical of the Solis Vis exalts this fusion of tastes and its important structure enhances the savor of this sea fish in carpione.

Another great pairing , maybe more classic but always appreciated, is together with the Vitello Tonnato – veal in tuna mayonnaise, reinterpreted by the Chef.

vitello tonnato

Searching among the first dishes, another crossing food combination is with a pasta seasoned according to the Southern Italian regions ingredients: spaghetti with roasted tomatoes, Shrimp Mazarese and buffalo cream.

The bouquet, the elegance and the firm structure of our Timorasso  perfectly boost every single ingredient, balancing the traits, the long lasting on the palate and inviting for the another sip.

The summer season is approaching and our journey of taste can be inaugurated by a recipe that reminds us the seaside scents, the sunshine, the beaches: Salted cod in cooking oil, citrus fruit and bell pepper in sweet and sour.

A dip in the colors and flavors of our peninsula, greatly represented by the Timorasso colors’ flag: the straw  yellow of the grape and green wax seal on the Solis Vis label.

baccalà

Solis Vis, Monferrato Bianco D.O.C., Timorasso in purity: a white wine with a red wine soul.