The various grape varieties get picked as soon as the Chardonnay reaches optimum maturity. All varieties get crushed and pressed together after which they also ferment together in new French oak barriques. Part of the wine undergoes malolactic fermentation, after which it is matured for another 10 months in barrique with lees being regularly stirred up. The finished wine is bottle aged for at least 6 months. Before being released, it follows a bottle aging for four years in an old silver mine in the Ridnaun Valley (Alto Adige) at 2.000m a.s.l. in absolute darkness and complete isolation three kilometers inside the cliffs. The steady temperature of 7 degrees Celsius and 95 per cent humidity, together with the extremely low air pressure, positively influence the maturation process of this wine, giving it long youth.
