XXIII BIO

XXIII BIO is a Valdobbiadene DOCG made with grapes from organically cultivated vineyards in the ‘Ai Boschi’ micro production area. This is a unique environment where woods and vineyards alternate, and it includes the site of the hiking trail known as ‘Pope John XXIII’, as the itinerary was a favourite of cardinal Angelo Roncalli, the future ‘good Pope’, who loved to walk when he holidayed in the area, in the period 1953-1958.

The 5.7 ha vineyard is a recent addition to our register, and as it had been organically cultivated for some time, we decided to maintain its certification, which also covers the finished product, to satisfy those customers who prefer this type of wine. It was not difficult for us to achieve this, as our production philosophy is to avoid being invasive in the winery, with just small adaptations to fully express the characteristics of this unique terroir.

The predominating soil on which this vineyard grows is in the ‘Feletto’ category, which features highly developed parent material, distinguishable by its bright red colour (due to the presence of iron, hence the name ‘Feletto’), its lack of carbon, clayey texture and a mildly neutral-acid reaction. The provision of water to the plants is directly correlated to the abundance of clayey material, together with limited losses through drainage, thanks to the gentle inclination of the slopes. The average elevation is approximately 250m asl.

This area’s peculiarity is its eastern aspect, which means it is subject to considerable thermal excursions and fresher temperatures than the average for the zone (which normally tend to be high, creating hints of ripe fruit, vegetables and spices). This results not only in the typical features of ‘Feletto’ soil with sub-acid pH, where roots can grow deep down without suffering from stress due to lack of water, but also in the elegance typically provided by strong thermal excursions. The result is a luscious, flavourful wine with uncommon finesse.
This is deliberately exalted by using a method slightly different from that used for the other wines in our range. The base wines from this vineyard, which tend to be cold and introvert, are left to mature for approximately one year on the primary fermentation lees before they undergo clarification and the sparkling process a year after harvest. When the sparkling wine has been refrigerated, its stands for a long time on its own lees before bottling. In this way the yeast autolysis breaks down the volume and enriches the wine.

XXIII Bio features scents of ripe white gooseberries, spring flowers and citrus fruit. As it stands on its lees for a long time, it has an aromatic bouquet that includes hints of pastries and bread. A delicate mineral note underlines intriguing complexity rich in hints of salt and fresh citrus overtones. This versatile wine is delicious with oysters and shellfish, ethnic cuisine, white meat, cold cuts and dairy and medium-hard cheese.

Recommended serving temperature 6-8 °C.