At the beginning of October, some of the harvested grapes to produce Valpolicella Superiore DOC “Campo Lavei” Ca’Rugate are set aside to dry in wooden trays until the end of December. The undried grapes were destemmed and fermented immediately after the harvest. The dried grapes were added at a later stage and were allowed to ferment in stainless steel for approximately one week, prior to pressing, which took place at the end of December. Valpolicella Superiore DOC “Campo Lavei” Ca’Rugate was then transferred into small barrels to finish fermentation and mature in oak, for a period of eight to 10 months.
Valpolicella DOC is located on the gentle slopes of the Montecchia di Crosara and Cazzano di Tramigna valleys. Ca Rugate’s vineyards are situated in the district of Montecchia di Crosara, at an altitude of 450 metres above sea level. The six hectare Campo Lavei vineyard is situated on the hillside, where the vines yield 90 quintals per hectare and are grown in limestone and pebble soils.
The estate was renamed Ca’ Rugate in 1986, taking its name from the volcanic hills where the vineyards are located. The family business has been handed down through the generations of the Tessari family since the early 1900s. Now run by the fourth generation, Michele has brought with him a lively, passionate and entrepreneurial spirit. Considerable expansion has taken place in recent years with investment in a new technologically advanced cellar and expansion into the Valpolicella area with the purchase of vineyards in the hilly zone of Montecchia di Crosara. The estate now covers 90 hectares of vineyard. Ca’Rugate has been awarded the prestigious ‘Tre Bicchieri’ award rating from Gambero Rosso multiple times, making it one of the most awarded producers in the competition and has been hailed by the New York Times as one of the “Top Five producers of High-End Soave”.
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