Ferruccio Carlotto
Ferruccio Carlotto and his daughter Michela farm a tiny estate of several hectares in the Alto Adige town of Ora, south of Bolzano. The specialty of this village is Lagrein, a red grape that is native to the region, and these folks have it down. They chose to produce only one Lagrein Riserva that is aged in large oak casks. The vines are planted in a complex mélange of soil types dominated by igneous porphyry rock and complemented by limestone subsoil and a wide range of alluvial sediments and stones deposited here over millennia. You have never tasted Lagrein with this much finesse. It is a powerhouse of a wine with a very light touch—inky black, loaded with fruit, with a distinctive personality, and silky tannins. They also make a small amount of Pinot Nero that is made in a very fine, elegant style, with a feathery touch. It is from one of the best terroirs in the Alto Adige for Pinot Nero, the cru of Mazzon. Their 1997 was a revelation.
We went for the Lagrein and were overjoyed to find the best Schiava we’ve ever tasted, albeit in tiny quantities. It is like free-run raspberry juice infused with rose petals with no tannin. We can understand why the locals drink it all up so we were pleasantly surprised when we were able to talk the Carlottos into selling us a pallet for the United States. Unfortunately there are not much of these finely crafted beauties to go around but if you can get your hands on a few cases, you will be experiencing some of the best of what Alto Adige has to offer the wine world.
Ferruccio Carlotto and his daughter Michela farm a tiny estate of several hectares in the Alto Adige town of Ora, south of Bolzano. The specialty of this village is Lagrein, a red grape that is native to the region, and these folks have it down. They chose to produce only one Lagrein Riserva that is aged in large oak casks. The vines are planted in a complex mélange of soil types dominated by igneous porphyry rock and complemented by limestone subsoil and a wide range of alluvial sediments and stones deposited here over millennia. You have never tasted Lagrein with this much finesse. It is a powerhouse of a wine with a very light touch—inky black, loaded with fruit, with a distinctive personality, and silky tannins. They also make a small amount of Pinot Nero that is made in a very fine, elegant style, with a feathery touch. It is from one of the best terroirs in the Alto Adige for Pinot Nero, the cru of Mazzon. Their 1997 was a revelation.
We went for the Lagrein and were overjoyed to find the best Schiava we’ve ever tasted, albeit in tiny quantities. It is like free-run raspberry juice infused with rose petals with no tannin. We can understand why the locals drink it all up so we were pleasantly surprised when we were able to talk the Carlottos into selling us a pallet for the United States. Unfortunately there are not much of these finely crafted beauties to go around but if you can get your hands on a few cases, you will be experiencing some of the best of what Alto Adige has to offer the wine world.
Technical Information
| Wine | Blend | Vine Age | Soil Type | Vineyard Area* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alto Adige Lagrein Riserva “Di Ora in Ora” |
Lagrein | Planted in 1946, 2003, 2006, 2012 | Porphyry, Limestone, Clay, Alluvial stones |
1.8 ha |
| Vigneti delle Dolomiti Schiava |
Schiava | Planted in 2013 | Porphyry, Limestone, Clay, Alluvial stones |
.15 ha |
| Alto Adige Pinot Nero “Filari di Mazzon” |
Pinot Nero | Planted in 2000, 2010, 2012, 2014, & 2015 | Sand, clay, chalk, limestone | 3 ha |
| * "ha" = hectares; one hectare equals roughly two and a half acres | ||||
VITICULTURE / VINIFICATION
• Hand harvested, sorted in the vineyard
• All grapes are de-stemmed
• Fermentation in stainless steel tank
• Schiava is aged in stainless steel tank
• Lagrein is aged in large, older oak barrels, very small percentage aged in new oak barrique
• Indigenous yeasts
• Malolactic fermentation at controlled temperature
Alto Adige Pinot Nero “Filari di Mazzon”:
• Fermented in conical oak vats
• 20% of wine aged in 22hl barrels and 80% aged in 225L barrels for 12 months
• 15% of the 225L barrels are new
• Aged in bottle for 6 months
• All grapes are de-stemmed
• Fermentation in stainless steel tank
• Schiava is aged in stainless steel tank
• Lagrein is aged in large, older oak barrels, very small percentage aged in new oak barrique
• Indigenous yeasts
• Malolactic fermentation at controlled temperature
Alto Adige Pinot Nero “Filari di Mazzon”:
• Fermented in conical oak vats
• 20% of wine aged in 22hl barrels and 80% aged in 225L barrels for 12 months
• 15% of the 225L barrels are new
• Aged in bottle for 6 months
General Information
- Country
- Italy
- Region
- Alto Adige
- Appellation(s)
- Alto Adige, Vigneti delle Dolomiti
- Producer
- Michela Carlotto
- Founded
- 2000
- Annual Production
- 1600 cases
- Farming
- Sustainable
