Wine Description

The wine is named for the beautiful swans Wagner saw floating at Villa Tasca that inspired him to compose the Parsifal while staying there. Cygnus is the Latin for “swan” (cigno in Italian) and also the name of the swan-shaped constellation. This Nero d'Avola-based wine shows exceptional elegance and grace befitting a beautiful swan.

Tasting Notes

Intense ruby-red in color, Cygnus brilliantly captures the dark fruit and graphite aromas of Cabernet and the mulberry, mocha and cherry notes of Nero d'Avola. Additionally, aging in barrique imparts aromas of vanilla, tobacco, black pepper, which increases the complexity of this wine. On the palate, it is rich, generous and complete-- a sumptuous match for rich, meat-based pastas, roast beef and veal.

Vineyard Characteristics

Production area/name of vineyard:	Various estate vineyards
Size of vineyard (acres):	45
Soil composition:	Clay and sand
Training method:	Guyot and Spur-pruned Cordon
Elevation (feet):	1,980
Vines/acre:	1,600
Yield/acre (tons):	2
Exposure:	Various
Year vineyard planted:	1970-1999
Agronomist/Vineyard manager:	Gianfranco Lombardo

Winemaking & Aging

Varietal composition:	58% Nero d'Avola and 42% Cabernet Sauvignon
Harvest time:	September-October
Winemaking consultant:	Carlo Ferrini
First vintage of this wine:	1998
Number bottles produced of this wine:	70,000
Fermentation
Fermentation container:	Stainless steel tanks
Length of alcoholic fermentation (days):	8
Fermentation temperature (°F):	82
Maceration technique:	Pumpover and delestage
Length of maceration (days):	14
Malolactic fermentation:	Yes
Aging
Aging container:	Barrique
Size of aging container:	225 L
Age of aging container:	30% new; 70% second- and third-passage
Cooperage:	French oak: Allier and Tronçais
Length of aging before bottling:	14 months
Length of bottle aging:	4 months
Analytical Data
Alcohol:	13.5%
pH level:	3.6
Residual sugar (grams/liter):	1.9
Acidity (grams/liter):	5.6
Dry extract (grams/liter):	34

Reviews

There are no reviews listed for this product at this time.  Please check back regularly as reviews are added when they become available.