Distinctive juicy and silky character with rich mature fruit aromas and has an elegant and complex explosion of fresh berry fruit, chocolate, coffee, liquorice and spice.

93 POINTS DECANTER

The vineyards are located 120 to 130 meters above sea level and they are south-east facing. Pruned-spur cordon-trained. Clayey limestone moraine soil with small gravel and sand presence.

Luciano’s passion for the wine world kept intensifying with his son Giulietto and led to the acquisition of Prendina in 1958, an estate in Monzambano. Giulietto, a failed surveyor and keen radioamateur, turned a passion into a manufacturing activity in the 70s. The achievement of the DOC in 1971 further reinforced the family activity and confirmed Custoza among the Italian quality wines. Also, Prendina gained more importance as the first wine labeled Prendina was bottled: a Merlot which became the wine of the house of Gualtiero Marchesi’s famous restaurant. Nonetheless, the winery remained a secondary activity as Giulietto primarily used it to entertain guests, visitors and stakeholders of the leather industry.

Pairing Suggestions: Pairings: either tasty red meat or savoury first courses.

Maturation: Drying gives some unique and special characteristics to this wine which is made with a traditional red fermentation combined with 12-14 days of maceration and followed by the malolactic fermentation. The wine is then aged in first and second passage barriques for 18 months. In some particular vintages, which are rich in sugar, aged Merlot grapes are combined with fresh ones to lower the alcohol content.