COLOUR
White
TYPE
Sparkling
VINTAGE
2020
GRAPE
Malvasia di Candia Aromatica
PRODUCER
Camillo Donati
REGION
Emilia-Romagna
CHARACTERISTICS
Body
Light
Sweetness
Sweet
Acidity
Medium - High
Finish
Medium - Long
Intensity
Mid - Pronounced
Tannins
Low
AROMAS & FLAVOURS
ABOUT THIS WINE
Camillo Donati was a professional accountant who, following his father's passing in 1992, returned to his grandfather's 1930s-era estate in the hills of Parma, Emilia-Romagna. Dedicated to preserving traditional, natural viticulture, Donati farms his vineyards organically and biodynamically. This sweet sparkling Malvasia is a cornerstone of the estate; the sweet must is considered the 'King of the Cellar' because it is kept in reserve to kickstart spontaneous bottle refermentation in Donati's dry base wines. This wine represents a deep commitment to ancestral methods, capturing the rustic, living spirit of the region without cellar manipulations.
ALCOHOL
5.0%
AVG. PRICE
€18
STYLE
Natural
VEGAN
YES
SULPHITES
When to drink
Now
Ideal temperature
10-12°C
INTERESTING FACTS
Fact 01
Producer Camillo Donati walked away from a career as an accountant in 1992 to revive his grandfather's historic 1930s estate.
Fact 02
The fermentation is stopped using a traditional fabric 'sack filter' to physically strain out yeasts, keeping the alcohol at 5%.
Fact 03
This sweet must is the 'King of the Cellar,' used in spring to kickstart bottle refermentation for Donati's dry sparkling wines.
FOOD PAIRING
Read more
WINE MAKING PROCESS
The grapes are harvested manually late in the season to optimize natural sugar concentration. Fermentation begins spontaneously in stainless steel tanks using only native yeasts, accompanied by skin-contact maceration. To preserve the natural residual sugars and limit the alcohol to around 5% ABV, the fermentation is physically halted using a traditional fabric 'sack filter' (filtro a sacco) to strain out the active yeasts. In the following spring, during the waning moon, the sweet must is bottled. A spontaneous refermentation occurs naturally in the bottle, creating a gentle frizzante carbonation. The wine is bottled unfined, unfiltered, and with no added sulfur dioxide.
