Madonna della Scoperta – Lugana Superiore 2019

Madonna della Scoperta – Lugana Superiore DOP

The Perla del Garda Madonna della Scoperta is a 2019 Lugana Superiore DOP. For the Superiore quality level, the organic grapes are harvested late. Wine of the Superiore quality level has a minimum alcohol content of 12% vol. and must be aged for at least one year. In this case, it is aged partly in stainless steel tanks and partly in wooden barrels. Thus, it is not designed for freshness, but for elegance, structure, and longevity.

Its straw-yellow color with golden highlights shines from the glass. On the nose, it convinces with notes of yellow fruits, such as apple and peach, while gooseberry, hazelnut, and acacia blossom also emerge, along with recognizable balsamic notes. On the palate, this Lugana Superiore reveals the full splendor of the Turbiana grape and the distinctive minerality of its calcareous soils. The Madonna della Scoperta is powerful and round, possessing refinement and fullness, making it a wonderful accompaniment to spicy dishes and even meat dishes.

Winemaking – Giovanna Prandini

In Lonato del Garda, on the southern shore of Lake Garda, the twenty-year-old vines grow in hilly vineyards (only 4 hectares) on calcareous soils of morainic origin. Located at an altitude of 150-250 meters in the San Carlo site, this Lugana Superiore DOP is produced by the Perla del Garda estate. Using the Guyot training system, 5,000 vines per hectare are planted close together, as the Turbiana grape variety has vigorous growth and can quickly produce quantity over quality if not kept in check. Winemaker Giovanna Prandini keeps them under control; planted densely, they must compete for water and nutrients, supplemented by consistent yield reduction on the vine. Harvesting takes place somewhat later than for the classic Lugana, around mid-September.

Harvested by hand into small crates, the grapes are manually sorted once more at the winery, which is situated amidst the vineyards, before being placed in a cold room to protect them from oxidative stress and preserve the fruit. After gentle whole-cluster pressing, fermentation takes place over 8-10 days in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks at approx. 15 degrees. The Lugana Superiore DOP is aged for 12 months on the lees in stainless steel tanks and partly in wooden barrels, and for at least 6 months in the bottle before it goes on sale. The result is a top-class Lugana. Awarded 3 glasses by Gambero Rosso.

Lugana Superiore DOP – White Wine from Lake Garda

Since 1967, Lugana wine has carried the DOP or DOC (Denominazione di origine controllata) designation as a controlled designation of origin. On approximately 700 hectares of vineyard area covered by the DOC region on the southern shore of Lake Garda, the grapes—also known as Verdicchio Bianco—grow: Turbiana and Trebbiano di Lugana. They produce the straw-yellow to greenish white wine, which owes its freshness to the microclimate influenced by the large lake, with its mild temperatures and fresh breezes.

Madonna della Scoperta – a wine and its values

• 13% vol. alcohol
• 5.1g/l acidity
• 0.8g/l residual sugar