Merlot Cabernet Iugum - 2018 - 0.75 lt. - Winery Peter Dipoli

IUGUM (iou-gum) is a made up name. It means "yoke" in Latin. A yoke is that wooden piece with hitched oxen into pairs, but the word "Iugum" is also used in very early agricultural texts in reference to tines being trained on a support. This vineyard parcel is located on the slope of Magré one of the warmest vineyard areas of Alto Adige. The warm temperature and the soil structure with a high clay content determined the selection of Bordeaux varieties. My objective was to produce a great red wine which could be barrel aged and withstand long bottle ageing.

VINEYARD LOCATION: Magré hills.

PLANTED AREA: 1,1 hectares

VARIETIES: 70 % Merlot 30 % Cabernet Sauvignon

VINEYARD ALTITUDE: 300 meters.

SITE EXPOSITION: east, southeast.

SOIL STRUCTURE: clayey and silty.

VINE TRAINING SYSTEM: simple cane pruned (Guyot).

VINE DENSITY: 7.000 vines per hectares.

VINIFICATION, AGEING AND RELEASE: the Merlot is harvested mid September, Cabernet Sauvignon mid October. Each grape variety is vinified by itself. Grapes are destemmd leaving the berries uncrushed. Fermentation occurs in open wooden vats (40 hl capacity) and lasts 10 days approximately with punch downs twice a day. Both Merlot and Cabenet Sauvignon undergo malolactic fermentation in new barriques. Cabernet Sauvignon is aged for 12 months in new barriques. For Merlot second and third run barriques are used. 12 months after the harvest the wines are blended to make IUGUM. After 60 days ageing in stainsteel vats Iugum is bottled. It is then released after 24 months ageing in bottle, that is 4 years after the harvest. Yearly production is 6.500 bottles.

FIRST YEAR PRODUCTION: 2018.