The Stefani Venezia Barrel N.62 is a classic Bordeaux blend from Veneto, made from old vines in the Le Ronche vineyard in the Piave region northeast of Venice. This Venezia DOC perfectly demonstrates the depth Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon can achieve on rich clay soil influenced by both sea and mountains. What kind of wine is the Stefani Venezia? It's a full-bodied yet supple red Venezia DOC, intended as a gastronomic meal wine with a clear structure and a distinctly unique provenance.
Perfectewijn has had 300 bottles bottled exclusively from Barrel N.62, so you can bring a selection from a special barrel into your home, in addition to the general batch of De Stefani Venezia, which has been a favorite with many wine lovers for years.
The Stefani Venezia comes from Italy, from Veneto, from the Piave zone around Fossalta di Piave, within the Venezia DOC appellation. The wine comes entirely from the Le Ronche estate, a historically selected vineyard area planted in the 1960s by the De Stefani family for its unique soil and location. The vineyards are located approximately 10 km from the Adriatic Sea, 40 to 50 km from the Dolomites, and just a few hundred meters from the Piave River, creating a constant wind and significant temperature variations between day and night, ideal for slow-ripening grapes with considerable aromatic tension. The soil is alluvial and locally known as caranto, a mix of white clay and sedimentary rock brought by the Dolomites; the high clay fraction gives the vines perfect balance and produces wines with great structure and concentration. The plantings are very dense, with approximately 8,400 vines per hectare, and are intensively managed with summer pruning, thinning of shoots and strong yield restriction to obtain extremely ripe, aromatic grapes.
Harvest takes place in late September, only when the Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon are fully ripe, with deep color and full aromatic development. In the cellar, the grapes are destemmed and crushed, after which the must undergoes classic skin maceration and fermentation in temperature-controlled concrete tanks with frequent pumping over for gentle extraction of color, flavor, and tannin. After fermentation, the wine is aged for approximately 12 months on its fine lees in oak barriques, which adds roundness, depth, and a subtle oaky note without obscuring the fruit. The final alcohol content typically ranges from 12.5 to 14%, depending on the vintage, with the combination of clay soil and relatively cool nights ensuring ample freshness alongside the ripe structure. Thanks to its robust structure and careful work in the vineyard and cellar, De Stefani Venezia can age for up to 15 years, with optimal drinking phase around 10 years after the harvest, when the wine develops additional complexity and tertiary notes.
Merlot – Le Ronche, Fossalta di Piave
Merlot (58%) forms the heart of the blend, providing the full body, ripe red fruit aromas and soft, enveloping structure that makes this Venezia so approachable, even with its serious concentration.
Cabernet Sauvignon – Le Ronche, Fossalta di Piave
Cabernet Sauvignon (42%) adds backbone and spice, with additional colour, tannins and notes of dark berries and wild fruits, giving the wine greater length and aging potential.
