A new vintage of Cul d’Oro has just arrived from Davide Vignato, continuing a family tradition of farming on the volcanic hills of Gambellara, in western Veneto.
The family’s connection to this land goes back to the 1950s, when Davide’s grandfather Rinaldo planted the family's first vines. His father, Gian Domenico, later became the first to make wine, passing on his experience in the vineyard to Davide, who began converting the estate to organic farming in 1997, eventually introducing biodynamic practices.
Much of the vineyard is still trained in the traditional pergola system, with Garganega growing on dark basaltic soils along the slopes of an extinct volcano.
Cul d’Oro 2021 is Davide’s interpretation of the traditional Recioto di Gambellara, made from thirty-five-year-old Garganega vines in the Faldeo cru. The bunches are harvested by hand and hung to dry naturally above the cellar until the following March. Following fermentation, the wine spends a year in small barrels, another in demi-john and two further years resting in bottle.
Coming from a fresher vintage, the 2021 shows a lighter, more delicate expression of this traditional sweet wine. Notes of candied fruit, toasted almond and acacia honey are balanced by a clear mineral edge and refreshing acidity, bringing freshness and poise to the palate.
