Eccellenza
the outstanding one

The end of the 19^th century saw Friedrich, Count Toggenburg serve as Governor of Tyrol and Vorarlberg and as the last interior minister of the Austrian Empire. Following South Tyrol’s annexation by Italy, as a member of the Italian parliament he campaigned for the rights of the German-speaking population. As a highly esteemed personage – and not merely on account of his office – he was addressed as “Excellency”. He was a great man, appreciated by all sides.

WHY DOES THIS WINE MATCH THIS PERSONALITY?

This similarly named wine is also outstanding in character: it holds the essence of the grapes and radiates a quiet elegance and greatness. Its entire style matches the personality of my great-grandfather, as elegant as its appearance.

I MOST ENJOY DRINKING ECCELLENZA…

with a highly seasoned game dish, or after dinner with a few pieces of dark chocolate. Whether for grand celebrations or on special occasions in more intimate company, the bright garnet red and incredible colour density of Eccellenza always lends the moment yet more atmosphere and meaning.

THE ORIGINS OF ECCELLENZA

The native Tuscan grapes used for our Eccellenza grow to a large extent in the Vigna del Poggino and Vigna del Sasso vineyards. The former sits upon a hill at 330 metres above sea level and offers very rich soils containing loam and clay, while the latter is a steeper location exposed to the south-west; structured and loose, it has a high content of smooth, round stones from fluvial deposits. For Eccellenza we select the finest grapes – loose berries in perfect health – which are then dried in a protected room for 1-2 months. During this time, the berries naturally release water and their ingredients are thus concentrated. Once the right degree of drying is reached, the grapes are once more hand-selected and mashed. Slow fermentation takes place in concrete tanks with a correspondingly long maceration. The wine is kept on the fine lees for at least a year in barrique and tonneau-type casks. After bottling, Eccellenza rests for another year to round off in the bottle.