Ilmerlot is obtained through careful grape selection and skilled vinification, entirely in line with the Ca’ del Bosco method. The grapes are hand-picked in 3 “choice” vineyards, and immediately placed in small crates, where they are graded and chilled. The bunches are individually assessed by expert eyes and hands before they benefit from the exclusive “grape bath”, i.e. a special washing and hydro-massage treatment using three soaking tanks and a drying system. Shortly afterwards, each bunch is transported over the maceration vat to be destemmed; the berries fall into the vat by gravity. This avoids the use of traditional pumps, which cause the skins to break and impart unwanted herbaceous flavors. In 2009, alcoholic fermentation and skin contact took place in the following 21 days, with careful management of temperature and punching down. Pumping over takes place daily, using twin elevator tanks to which the wine, drawn from the bottom of the vat, is transferred by gravity. The wine is then raised by the so-called “flying tanks”, and is vigorously poured back into the vat, so as to punch the blanket (or “cap”) down. There’s no more natural or effective way of gently extracting color and tannins. After devatting, while still warm, the wine is placed in small casks – 65% new oak, carefully selected and seasoned for a minimum of 3 years. For this vintage, aging lasted 11 months in total, after which the wine was gravity bottled, in a natural way. The innovative filling systems mean that the wine does not suffer from oxidative shock or bottle shock, and does not require the addition of sulfites. Its integrity and wholesomeness are thus guaranteed. Finally, each bottle is marked with a unique ID to ensure full traceability.