Transcript bellafonte 2012 PRESENTATION

In the Heart of Italy,
A Source of Beauty
Umbria
Estate location,
close to Bevagna
and the tiny,
picturesque
village of
Torre del Colle
Satellite view of the estate location
View of Tenuta Bellafonte
• Umbria is 3,264 square miles.
• One of Italy’s tiniest, the approximate equivalent of
twice the size of the state of Rhode Island
• 29.3% of the region is mountains,
• 70.7% of the region is hills.
• They call it the heart of Italy becuase it is nestled
right at the geographic core of the peninsula in lush,
green isolation
Percentage of
mountains
Percentage of
hills
Peter & Sabina’s Team:
• Winemakers:
Peter Heilbron & Beppe Caviola
•Consulting Agronomist:
Federico Cortaz
•World Class team who has been
working on the Bellafonte project
since its inception, even before
the property was purchased in
2007
Sabina & Peter Heilbron
Owner: Peter Heilbron, Milanese-born executive from the Food & Beverage
sector
The Begining: Peter fell in love with Umbria’s calm, tranquil, and peacfull
ambiance while he was working for Nestlé. After a few years as CEO of Martini
& Rossi, then Heineken Italy, he decided to act on his passion for the unique
terroir of Montefalco, in the Perugia province, exclusive home of a powerful new
Italian star: Sagrantino di Montefalco DOCG.
The Land
• Total Property: 30 hectares (74 acres) close to Bevagna, in one of the
region’s most untouched, pristine landscapes.
• Under Vine: 7 hectares (17 acres) are under Sagrantino vine, easily
recognizable in autumn thanks to the fiery color of the leaves
• Altitude: 260 to 320 meters (853-1,050 feet) above sea level
• Soil: Old and new plantings are on tough, sunny and stony soil that
alternates the area’s typical clay with marly and arenaceous
formations.
• 23 hectares (57 acres) include
woodland, a small orchard,
and 2,500 olive trees
• Olive Trees are of the classic
local varieties: moraiolo,
frantoio and leccino, yielding
superb extra virgin olive oil.
Nearby Torre del Colle
The castle at Torre del Colle
The Bellafonte property
• The entire property aims at
blending into the
landscape, with an
underground winery and
cellars and minimal impact
on the environment.
The Winery
• Energy Independent: The estate makes use of solar panels and a biomass boiler: no damage,
no waste; even the clippings from pruning are employed to produce energy.
• Winery Structure: A stainless steel and stone structure in direct contact with the rocky soil,
allowing moisture and natural air to permeate the winery. To combat too much moisture, ideal
ventilation is ensured through underground conduits that circulate outside air and ensure
naturally cool temperatures. Hot air exits the winery through two large chimneys.
The Vineyards
• Eco-friendly Viticultural Practices:
• Natural Fertilization by means of manure.
• No Irrigation
• Avoidance of Chemical herbicides
• Manual: pruning & canopy management,
• Green harvest
• Closest neighboring winery is 3km---preventing any land interfernace
Harvest & Vinification
• Harvest: Only select, healthy grapes are brought into the winery. These are not crushed
but simply de-stemmed so as to make vinification as gentle as possible, using pressure on
flexible tubing to press grapes.
• Fermentation in the stainless teel vats occurs with only naturally occuring yeasts. Skin
maceration lasts about two weeks.
• The grapes are harvested and vinified by zone and the final wine is a careful blend of the
zones, which are constantly adjusted each year.
Peter Heilbron in
the ageing cellar
Ageing
• After a several weeks resting and some decanting, the wine is transferred to the ageing cellars
and placed in large Slavonian oak barrels between 30 and 50 hectoliters.
• Barrel size is part of the Heilbrons’ mission: respecting local tradition and the natural
exuberance and power of the Sagrantino variety, which is best fine-tuned in larger wood
containers.
• Malolactic fermentation is entirely natural, solely set off by cellar temperature.
• Ageing in oak lasts at least 3 years. The wine is subsequently bottled, unfiltered, and
undergoes another 10 months’ bottle age previous to release.
• The barrels and the bottles rest together in the same cellar, maintained at the perfect
temperature by the natural flow of air.
TENUTA BELLAFONTE Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG
Location of Vineyards: Bevagna, province of Perugia, Umbria
Varieties: 100% Sagrantino
Age of Vines: 12-15 years
Altitude: 853-1,050 feet (260-320 meters) above sea level
Training System: Spurred cordon
Density of Vines: 5,500 per hectare
Soil Type: Clay alternating with marly and arenaceous formations
Crop Yield: 4 tons per hectare i.e. 1.6 tons per acre – extremely small
Fermentation: Solely natural yeasts, skin maceration for c. 20 days
Ageing: 36 months in large Slavonian oak barrels + 10 months’ bottle
age. Wine is released in October.
Bottling: Unfiltered
Alcohol: C. 14% by vol.
Total Production: 20,000-25,000 bottles
Tasting Notes:
Luminous ruby, the bouquet is ample and
intense, showing blackberry and wild berry
notes alternating with spicy and mineral
sensations that acquire depth and
complexity in time. The palate is
consistent, silky-textured and powerful
while simultaneously fresh and elegant.
Tannins are rich yet soft, promising a very
long cellar life.
TENUTA BELLAFONTE
Vintages & Quantities
First Vintage 2008: 3,900 bottles
2009: 5,600 bottles
2010: 10,700 bottles
2011: 17,400 bottles
TENUTA BELLAFONTE
What’s in a Name?
The inspiration for naming the estate Tenuta
(property) Bellafonte (literally «beautiful
source») came from the Italian translation of
Peter’s originally German surname, heil =
beautiful, wholesome + Bron, source.
The youngest vineyards will become productive in
2015, adding 40 more hectoliters (5,600 bottles) to
the Heilbrons’ Sagrantino production.
Beautiful
Source