Zyme Harlequin Veneto Rosso IGP 2015

"Harlequin" is a unique wine with no analogs in the world, produced only in years of very good harvests. The blend includes 15 grape varieties. Despite being classified as red wine, the blend also includes 4 white grape varieties: Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Garganega, and Trebbiano Toscano. The red grapes include both indigenous and international varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella, Oseleta, Teroldego, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah, Sangiovese, and Marzemino. All varieties are grown in Verona on organic vineyards. The grapes for "Harlequin" are personally selected by the chief winemaker and are carefully harvested cluster by cluster by hand, after which some varieties are dried on trays in natural conditions for 40 days. All grapes are pressed whole and fermented in a cement tank with local yeasts for about 30 days. Then, the wine is racked and decanted, which takes about 10 days. The wine is aged for 30 months in new 225-liter French oak barrels before being bottled unfiltered and aged in bottles for at least 2 years. The label of "Harlequin" features the attributes of Harlequin: a mask, a tear running down his face, and a costume stained with tomatoes. In 2015, Veneto experienced very warm winter and spring temperatures above average, as well as a very dry summer. The lack of water put immense pressure on the vines, leading to increased polyphenol and sugar content. Harvesting began about 10 days earlier that year. The vines that successfully coped with the challenging weather conditions produced fruit of excellent ripeness, although yields were about 10% lower. The best samples from 2015 have proven to be mature and stylish, with a long aging potential.