'Cerico' Prima Terra - Walter De Battè 2017

'Cerico', produced by Walter De Battè's Prima Terra winery, is a label with a distinct territorial character, in line with the vision of one of the most esteemed winemakers of the Riviera Ligure di Levante. Fruit of the rocky and rugged landscape of the Cinque Terre, it takes its name from a parcel located near an ancient Cerri forest. The vines, clinging to the mountains that rise steeply from the sea, perfectly express the Mediterranean profile of an always sunny stretch of coastline. It is made from a base of Granaccia, to which is added a balance of Syrah, two grapes from neighbouring France that have found a terroir very well suited to their needs. The wine has a very straightforward and direct profile typical of De Battè wines.

Cerico' Prima Terra wine is the fruit of Walter De Battè's great love for his land, which led him to create a small estate in 2003. Right from the start, he set himself the goal of reviving the ancient traditions of wine-growing in the area, restoring some small terraced plots with dry stone walls located at an altitude of about 500 metres above sea level. The vines take root in poor, stony soils, mainly composed of the disintegration of schist rocks. The climate, always very breezy and with good temperature fluctuations, proved perfect for Granaccia and Syrah. After manual harvesting, the grapes are fermented spontaneously with only indigenous yeasts in steel tanks with maceration on the skins for about twenty days. The wine matures for a year in steel tanks on the fine lees and is bottled without clarification or filtration and with a minimum addition of sulphites.

The red 'Cerico' Prima Terra perfectly reflects the passionate, artisanal work that has led Walter De Battè to become a wine icon of the Cinque Terre. His profound knowledge of the terroir, his oenological skills, and his desire to always make healthy and genuine wines are the basis of his success. To the eye, it is a rather dark ruby red with light purple reflections. Intense and rich, it has a bouquet characterised by ripe aromas of blueberry, wild blackberry, blackcurrant, and cherry, hints of undergrowth, liquorice, medicinal herbs and delicate spicy nuances reminiscent of black pepper. Harmonious and with rich, fruity aromas, it has ripe tannins and a deep lengthening towards a savoury finish with good freshness.