WINE & PASSION FOR QUALITY
AN ANCIENT HISTORY WITH AN EYE ON THE FUTURE, FOR AN ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY VITICULTURE
THE WINERY
OUR VINEYARDS, OUR HISTORY
BONUZZI FAMILY HISTORY
Always viticulture marks Bonuzzi’s family history. In 1893 Luigi Bonuzzi built, in a little glade over the hills, a votive yard shrine dedicated to Saint Vincenzo Ferreri to protect the vineyards below from hail. La Formica’s estate consists in more than 36 hectares, about 27 of which in wine grapes plants. It’s located in Illasi Valley in the eastern side of the Valpolicella Designation Origin. The location’s altitude varies from 240m to 380m over the sea level.
COMPANY PHILOSOPHY
On a cold, frosty day the ants began dragging out some of the grain they had stored during the summer and began drying it. A grasshopper, half-dead with hunger, came by and asked for a morsel to save his life.“What did you do this past summer?” responded the ants. “Oh”, said the grasshopper, “I kept myself busy by singing all day long an all night too.”“When then,” remarked the ants, as they laughed and shut their storehouse, “ since you kept yourself busy by singing all summer, you can do the same by dancing all winter.”
It is wise to worry about tomorrow, today.
AESOP (620 B.C. – 560 B.C.)
THE VINEYARDS
WHERE OUR WINES COME FROM
OUR VINEYARDS
The farm consists of 32 hectares (26 of them being vineyards), located in the Val d’Illasi in the farthest area east to Valpolicella at an altitude between 240 and 380 metres above sea level. In the same valley in Cellore, surrounded by 7 vineyards with traditional pergola cultivation, the corporate headquarters is situated. The local terrain is characterized by the presence of a gravelly underlayer which allows high drainage and a superficial mix of gravelly outcrops and alluvional silty soils (of about 0.5 meters). The grapes have an early maturation process which gives the wine intense fruity notes.
Another 6 vineyards are situated on the east side of Monte Le Guaite, at an average altitude of about 300 metres. The 25%-30% sloping of the land allows an excellent exposure to the sun with good temperature changes. The terrain has a slight superficial silty clay layer (0.3-0.4 meters), called ‘biancone’, which is a deep calcareous rocky formation. The vine roots go through the openings of the rocky layer and get the water needed to overcome summer drought. The cultivation tecnique is the guyot, perfectly suitable for the slope and exposure of the hill. The wines produced have a wonderfully fresh and sapid boquet with robust tannine.
The last 13 vineyards are in an area between the two above mentioned, in a basin at the foot of the hills and surround a two-century old farmhouse courtyard, called Pagnaghe.
In this area the terrain is similar to the hilly one with a higher presence of a few meter deep silty clay layer before the rocky underlayer. The tecniques of cultivation are both the guyot and the pergola.
OUR WINES
THE OUTCOME OF A CAREFUL SELECTION
Soave D.O.C.
Valpolicella D.O.C.
Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore D.O.C.
Amarone della Valpolicella
D.O.C.G.
PRODUCTION AREA Illasi
AGE OF VINEYARD: 10 years
EXPOSURE: South West
ALTITUDE: 150 m
SOIL TYPE: Limestone
GRAPE VARIETY: 100% Garganega
PRUNING SYSTEM: Pergola Veronese
YIELD PER HECTARE 70 hl/Ha
HARVEST PERIOD: Between 15° September and 15° October
WINEMAKING TECHNIQUES: the grapes are softly pressed before undergoing fermentation at 13°C –14°C. The wine is fermented and matured in stainless steel vats.
CHARACTERISTICS: the wine is strong flowery and fruity to the nose: hawthorn and jasmine fragranceand then a growing scent of apricot and peach, with marked exotic notes. Fresh tasting, it shows a pronounced minerality and a good flavour. Crispness and freshness make this wine particularly indicated as aperitif.
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PRODUCTION AREA Illasi
AGE OF VINEYARD: 10-45 years
EXPOSURE: South east
ALTITUDE: 250/400 m
SOIL TYPE: Chalky soil of glacial origin
GRAPE VARIETY: Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella
PRUNING SYSTEM: Guyot/Pergola
YIELD PER HECTARE 40 hl/Ha
HARVEST PERIOD: Mid October
WINEMAKING TECHNIQUES: the grapes are softly pressed before undergoing fermentation at 13°C –14°C. The wine is fermented and matured in stainless steel vats.
CHARACTERISTICS: the wine is light ruby redwith violet hues, black pepper spiceat the nose, then develops fruitnotes: cherries and hints of blackberry and raspberries jam. Freshness and minerality dominate in the mouth due to the microclimate. It ends with black cherry and bitter almond notes. Fine but persistent tannins.
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PRODUCTION AREA Illasi
AGE OF VINEYARD: 10-45 years
EXPOSURE: South east
ALTITUDE: 250/400 m
SOIL TYPE: Chalky soil of glacial origin
GRAPE VARIETY: Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella, Oseleta
PRUNING SYSTEM: Guyot/Pergola
YIELD PER HECTARE 40 hl/Ha
HARVEST PERIOD: Mid October
WINEMAKING TECHNIQUES: maceration and fermentation for 15 days in vertical vats. The wine undergoes delestage and malolactic fermentation in 20hl Oak casks. The Valpolicella is then mixed with Amarone dried grape skins. Maceration for 5 days at 25°C - 30°C. The wine is then matured for 12 months, partly in barriques, partly in Allier oak casks. The wine is left to mature for at least 6 months in the bottle.
CHARACTERISTICS: the wine has an intense ruby redcolour with tints of violet. On the nose, aromas of freshberries and pepper are prominent. On the palate, the wine has richtannins, a good acidity and a long taste of plum, black pepper and rhubarb.
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PRODUCTION AREA Monteforte d’Alpone
AGE OF VINEYARD: 30-60 years
EXPOSURE: South east
ALTITUDE: 150-250 m
SOIL TYPE: Volcanic
GRAPE VARIETY: Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella, Oseleta
PRUNING SYSTEM: Pergola Veronese
YIELD PER HECTARE 24 hl/Ha
HARVEST PERIOD: Between 15° September and 15° October
WINEMAKING TECHNIQUES: the grapes are left to dry in the fruitdryingloft for approx. 3 months. The grapes are destemmed, pressed and vinified with delestage followed by alcoholic and malolactic fermentation for 15 days in vertical stainless steel vats. The wine is then matured for 3 years in Allier oak tonneaux and barriques. The wine is left to mature for at least 1 year in the bottle.
CHARACTERISTICS: the result isa deep ruby redwine, impenetrable. To the nose comes with intense black pepper, then the fruitjam: cherry and plum. Finally, hints of liquorice, cigarsand cocoa. In the mouth it’s fresh, fruity with a strong minerality. Powerful and wrap with a clean and elegant tannins capable of long aging.
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CONTACTS
WHERE TO FIND US
Write us
Soc. Agr. La Formica di Bonuzzi Nicola & C.
+39 045 65 20 333
Via F. Filzi, 59 – 37030 Cellore di Illasi (VR)
info@laformicawines.com