Fattoria AL FIORE / Oro Reserva 2021 (White) 750ml

This 10-year-old Chardonnay vine has been nurtured with the love of the wonderful producer Masatoshi Ohno, growing into a golden wine worthy of his name. Although it was a year with little impact from autumn rains, Mr. Ohno himself kindly advised, "Why not try extending the harvest period?" despite the risks, which left a strong impression on me. Thanks to that, the moment I entered the vineyard on harvest day, I knew the quality of this wine was already decided. Rich fruit flavor, gentle and pleasant acidity, ample structure, and lingering finish. It is a perfect finish in every aspect. Grapes and wine can only reflect nature itself. It is not always the same every year. Among the flagship series with this Japanese paper label, for particularly outstanding cuvées, starting with this Chardonnay, we have decided to add the Reserva designation.

Chardonnay harvested in October was left on the skins for 4 days and gently pressed. The yeast from this vineyard, as every year, ferments very slowly and steadily, and the 2021 vintage took as long as 7 months to ferment in barrels without any stuck fermentation. After the lees settled, it was bottled. It was then released after an additional 15 months of bottle aging.