Agricola Bellaria always tries to pinpoint the best harvesting period in order to get the right balance between acidity and alcohol of the wine. In the case of Oltre, the month of October was determined to be the most suitable period.
The winemaking process begins with the definition of the production area where Agricola Bellaria achieves a reduction in production from 100 quintals of grapes per hectare, the standard production required by the specification, to 60/70 quintals per hectare.
The identified area is Prato di Principato Ultra (AV) in Vadiaperti district and Montefusco in Marotta district, two of the eight municipalities in Irpinia authorised to produce Greco di Tufo.
The fermentation temperature is always controlled and Agricola Bellaria has chosen to keep it very low, between 12-13°, the limit temperature for yeast survival.
At the end of fermentation, the resulting wine is transferred into three different tanks, each using a different yeast. In each tank, the wine acquires its own characteristics. When the wines from the different tanks are combined into a single blend, the result is a blend characterised by an exclusive aromatic bouquet that is even more embellishing.
Agricola Bellaria has also decided to block some of the fermentation to a small residual sugar. This means that not all the possible alcohol is produced, but some sugars are retained to compensate for the bitter notes of Greco di Tufo.
At this point the wine is first decanted to separate it from the lees, i.e. the fermentation residue of the yeast that has settled. The wine is then batonnage for a month, with the lees suspended once a week. This practice helps to preserve the special characteristics of Oltre.
Greco di Tufo DOCG "Oltre" is characterised by predominantly floral flavour notes, dominated by aromas of apple and pear with a note of melon. It is a rather oily wine with a very fresh flavour thanks to its high acidity.