Leonia Éternelle

The winter of 2014 was dominated by abundant rainfall and above-average temperatures; the mild spring saw budding in the vineyards in the first ten days of April. Summer arrived early, bringing temperatures above 30 °C as early as the first days of June, when the vines in full bloom diffused a sweet floral scent around them. The July rains increased the efforts of agronomists in the vineyard to maintain the health of the clusters; the beneficial late summer sunshine gave the vines the energy they needed to complete the ripening of the grapes.

Vinification and ageing: The Chardonnay grapes were harvested by hand into 15 kg perforated boxes. Once they reached the winery, the bunches were slowly and gently pressed. The 35 hl of cuvée thus obtained was fermented partly in stainless steel containers and partly in French oak barriques. In May following the harvest, the tirage took place with refermentation in the bottle, followed by a period of refinement on the lees for the following 8 years. After maturing on the lees, bottles were riddled to allow the noble lees sediment to settle in the neck of the bottle The dégorgement took place in June 2023: since then Eternelle rests for a long refinement in the bottle.

Organoleptic Notes: Eternelle 2014 has a beautiful bright gold colour, with a fine and persistent perlage. The bouquet is intense with wonderful scents of citrus, peach, apricot and yellow apple, plus subtle floral notes and hints of hazelnut and almond. With time, typical notes of pastry and bread crust emerge due to the prolonged ageing on the lees. On the palate the perlage is smooth and gives an elegant creamy sensation. Fresh and savoury, with a well-integrated character, indicative of a wonderful quality balance. Enveloping, broad, harmonious and complex, Eternelle needs a long time to develop its full character. The long ageing on the lees gives a highly complex finish that is strikingly elegant and rich.