The Teroldego is a special bottling Marco has made for Selection Massale. Or, rather, when they tasted this from cask, they were totally besotted with its precision, it's fruit and its sheer juicy vitality. Since Marco shared their excitement, he offered to bottle this small cuvée (that is usually blended into the Lagrein) separately if they agreed to take it. Deal done.

The family domaine was put together by Marco Zani's father, who bought the castle (yep, there really is one, and Marco makes his wine with in its 10th Century cellars) and surrounding vineyards, which are situated on the lower slopes of the mountains that tower either side of the little town of Rovereto. Although his father was not a vigneron (like most growers in the village, he sold each years' crop to the cooperative), Marco knew from an early age that he wanted to make wine, and since 1989, Marco has been (fanatically) tending the vineyards and making the wine at Castel Noarna, as well as helping his wife to run the best hotel/restaurant in town.

The castle and the vineyards lie on east/southeast facing slopes at about 350 meters above sea level -- these are high alititude vineyards, similar to those of Belluard in the Haute-Savoie, and Knauss and Beurer in Swabia. The soils, which Marco has worked organically since 2008 are rich in minerals and poor in organic matter, and exactly what's needed for making of grands vins. Limestone, our favorite, quartz, slate, silt.