Technical Details
Background
The wine made its debut in 1992 as Chiaranda del Merlo from the names of the two vineyards where the Ansonica and Chardonnay grapes were grown. Ten years later the name has been simplified to Chiaranda and the label has been enriched with a female figure that suggests complexity and refinement.
Estate
Donnafugata Winery is one of Italy’s finest wineries and praised by wine critics and wine lovers alike all over the globe. Located in Sicily, Donnafugata has various estates including the historic cellar in Marsala, the beautiful Contessa Entellina country house and vineyards in the western interior of the island, and another winery and estate in the windswept island of Pantelleria off Sicily’s southwest coast. The Rallo family who owns Donnafugata have been in the wine business for over a century and the current generation is extremely dynamic and visionary. The Donnafugata brand was born in the early 1980s by Giacomo and Gabriella Rallo in the family’s historic cellars and today their children José and Antonio play prominent roles in the company.
Food pairing
Perfect with lobster, cream of vegetable soup and smoked fish, we suggest it also with roast quail and aged cheeses. Serve it in large, relatively tall goblets; uncork 30 minutes before serving; excellent at 11-13 Celsius (52-55 Farenheit).
Harvest
Manual harvesting of grapes into crates with careful selection of the grapes in the vineyard. The Chardonnay destined for the production of Chiarandà was harvested in the second half of August
Tasting notes
Chiaranda 2016 has a straw yellow color. The nose offers a complex bouquet with scents of fresh tropical fruit, aromatic herbs, and toasted hazelnuts. The palate is ample and well-structured, with
pleasant savory notes and a long mineral finish. An important white with a long and satisfying persistence and great aging potential.
Vinification
Fermentation: in stainless steel, at a temperature of 14-16 Celsius (57-61 Farenheit). Then the wine ages partially matured in oak (65% in first and second passage barriques) for 8 months on its noble lees, partially in small cement vats (35%); finally it is fined in the bottle for at least 12 months.
Vintage
The 2016 vintage was characterized by a fairly balanced climatic trend, marked by a mild spring and a summer without excessive peaks of heat, allowing the vineyard to continue the vegetative cycle in a balanced way. Overall, from 1 October 2015 to 30 September 2016, 590 mm of rainfall was recorded, a slightly lower figure compared to seasonal averages. Careful vineyard management allowed us to bring into the winery healthy and well-ripened grapes, a premise of quality, long-lived wines
