sicut erat
Vermentino Isola dei Nuraghi IGT
Tasting notes:
Intense yellow, deep perfume of ripe and dry yellow fruits, hints of almond flowers, pastry and honey. In the mouth it is warm, soft with a full body and structure. The alcohol is well balanced with freshness and acidity.
Grape variety:
100% Vermentino
Harvest of the grapes:
Manual harvest, early in the morning, in the second decade of September
Soil:
Granite decay
Food and wine pairings:
Smoked fish, grilled fish, white meat with spices, strong aged cheeses, pecorino cheese. Recommended to taste at a temperature of 15/16ºC and serve in a large wine glass.
Sicut erat is inspired by the popular Sardinian folk song “Nanneddu meu”. Means “As it was”, because as it was in the past, the wine ferments and matures in amphorae.
Vinification and ageing:
The hand-harvested grapes are destemmed, pressed and placed in microporous ceramic amphorae to ferment in contact with the skins for approximately 2 months. After separation from the skins with a manual press, the wine is placed back in the amphora where it matures for 9 months before being bottled. Before being put on the market, the wine ages for another 2 months in the bottle.
The amphorae
The amphorae was the first container used to make wine. It was used in the Middle-East, in Greece and Rome. At La Contralta we choose to use special amphorae made with a mix of clay that cooks at the specific temperature of 1030°C. This permits to have a micro oxygenation comparable to that of barriques, but they do not give any third flavor to the wine. We believe this is a special way to enhance the characteristics of longevity and ageing of the Vermentino grape.
Terroir
A natural amphitheatre in front of the Gulf of Olbia.
