Costadilà
Tarzo - Veneto
In 2006 in the hills above Conegliano in the province of Treviso Ernesto Cattel embarked on a project that went well against the grain. The rolling hills of the area are incredibly beautiful but with the popularity of its much drunk export, Prosecco, agricultural practices changed. Vines are now predominantly planted in the easily mechanisable and sprayable valleys. Spraying is often done by helicopter and there was a rumour that a local school had received a treatment during break time.
The migration to the productive valleys left many abandoned vineyards in the hills above; vineyards that are full of potential and produced the “Prosecco” of old –a wine a farmer would produce a small amount of to have for their home, a true table wine, a wine to eat with. Ernesto began to collect small parcels of vines realising their potential and wanting to preserve and promote the area’s agricultural tradition. Not only is Ernesto’s cause worthy but it also produces wines of exceptional purity, depth and drinkability. The wines are made by parcel and labelled according to the altitude. Ernesto will sometimes do a short skin maceration depending on the parcel and quality of the vintage and after the first fermentation the wines are bottled with the addition of sweet must from the same vintage to start the second fermentation. They are not disgorged and the resulting deposits give the wines a hazy glow.
