Merlot Trentino DOC
Neil and Maria Empson created Bollini to fill a gap in the market for quality wines from the Alpine foothills of Friuli and Trentino in 1979. Their goal was to showcase the excellence and consistency of international varieties grown in Italy’s cool northeastern regions, while keeping the prices affordable. Choice hillside locations, ideal day/night temperature swings, good ventilation and the complexity and minerality that come from the soil, all contribute to achieving concentrated, highly extracted fruit. Merlot grapes are grown southeast of Trento in steep hillside vineyards, with plants at least fifteen years old. The carefully selected grapes macerate for a couple of weeks and age for at least eight to nine months in barrels of various types and sizes. Bollini Merlot offers an especially fragrant nose of black cherries, spices and tobacco and features a medium body with integrated tannins, plush fruit and subtle earthy notes. Easy to drink, easy to pair.
Wine exported to
Hong Kong, Bermuda, United Kingdom, Canada, USA, Norway, Holland, Singapore, Japan, Ireland, Serbia, Australia, Barbados, Austria, Paraguay
Most recent awards
- 2023 | James Suckling90
Grape Varieties:
100% Merlot
Fermentation container:
Stainless steel
Length of alcoholic fermentation:
15 days
Type of yeast:
Selected
Fermentation temperature:
26-28 °C (78.8-82.4 °F)
Length of maceration:
15 days
Malolactic fermentation:
Yes
Fining agent:
Bentonite
Aging containers:
oak casks
Container size:
various: 225 liters, 20-60 hectoliters
Container age:
various
Type of oak:
French, American, Slavonian oak
Aging before bottling:
8-9 months
Aging in bottle:
A few months
Closure:
Diam/screw cap
Organic:
No
Vineyard location:
Southeastern Trentino
Soil composition:
Rocky, gravelly
Vine training:
Pergola and Guyot
Altitude:
200 - 300 meters (656-984 feet) above sea level
Vine density:
4,000-5,000 vines per hectare
Yield:
75 HL
Exposure:
Southwestern
Years planted:
1989-2004
Age of vines:
15-30 years and older
Time of harvest:
End of September
First vintage of this wine:
1981
Total yearly production (in bottles):
36,000
Tasting notes:
The lively, deep color preludes an especially fragrant bouquet of black cherries, spices, berries and tobacco; on the palate, medium body, crisp freshness yet silky texture sustained by well-integrated tannins, lush fruit, subtle earthy and herbal notes, excellent balance and a long finish.
Serving temperature:
Best served at 16-18 °C (60.8-64.4 °F).
Food pairings:
Pairs wonderfully with red meat and hearty first courses. Very easy to drink and food-friendly.
Aging potential:
2 -3 years
Alcohol:
Alcohol cont. by volume: 13.5%
Winemaker:
Franco Bernabei with Neil Empson
