CG GuidoCarlo, the Metodo Classico of Tenuta Santa Caterina.

As King Edward VII once said, "Wine is not only to be drunk, but also to be smelled, observed, tasted, sipped, and... discussed." And here we are, ready to talk about wine, specifically to introduce what is truly a source of pride for us: our first sparkling wine.
It is called GC - GUIDOCARLO, and it is a Metodo Classico sparkling wine obtained through a second fermentation in the bottle. The name leaves no doubt. Each label of our winery carries its own story and is a dedication (silent) to someone or something important to Tenuta Santa Caterina. And in this case, it couldn't be any different: a wine dedicated to the founder of Tenuta Santa Caterina, named after the proprietor himself, Guido.
The GC - GUIDOCARLO, produced exclusively with Chardonnay grapes, originates from the same vineyard that gives us another wine of Tenuta Santa Caterina, the Silente delle Marne. In this vineyard, we chose to plant only Chardonnay, specifically 3 distinct clones of French origin, selected in collaboration with a nursery from the French wine region of Burgundy.
The story of GC - GUIDOCARLO, therefore, intertwines with that of Silente delle Marne and stems from the intuition of our technical team. It won't surprise you to read that over the years, we have witnessed significant climate changes resulting in higher average temperatures, especially during the spring and summer. These sometimes extreme temperatures influence the maturation process of the grapes, reducing the typical grape acidity, which degrades rapidly.
Since 2015, in order to ensure balance in the final composition of Silente delle Marne wine, Tenuta Santa Caterina started carrying out two successive harvests in the same vineyard. The first, early harvest is aimed at preserving the grape acidity, while the second is dedicated to achieving the necessary sugar content and final complexity of the wine. Hence, while waiting for the second harvest, Tenuta Santa Caterina began analyzing and observing in the cellar what, in terms of analytical characteristics in acidity and sugar content, was an excellent starting point for a Metodo Classico.
Considering the clayey-calcareous nature of the soils and their marine origin, the early harvest of Chardonnay grapes immediately showed a remarkable taste balance, where the freshness of the fruit blends with its gustatory complexity. The olfactory component proved to be integral, clear, and with evident prospects for evolution. All these elements, after a few years, convinced us of the potential of the product, especially its vocation for a long stay on the lees in the bottle. The result is an elegant, complex Metodo Classico with long persistence – a true pleasure for the senses, ideal for celebrating special moments and sharing unique emotions with those close to our hearts.
With careful vineyard management, meticulous harvest, tailor-made vinification, and a 36-month stay on the lees during bottle refermentation, we can say that we are satisfied with the outcome. We could still use many words to describe the characteristics of this bottle, but the true medium is the wine glass, and that's why we invite you to taste it.
See the wine