Elena Walch

Trentino-Alto Adige

2017

Merlot Vigna "Kastelaz"

Alto Adige

$ EUR

Release Price

Drink Window

14%

ABV

pH

5.4

TA

4.5

RS

Nose

The wine is intense and pure in the nose, with fruity notes of sour cherries and plums, with hints of caramel and fine roasted aromas.

Palate

Supple velvety tannins, a soft, round texture, an important, spicy body, fruity concentration and filigree elegance fill the palate.

Growing Conditions

The imposing location of Vigna “Kastelaz” above the wine village of Tramin is one of the
rarest, exclusive Southern exposures in Alto Adige – since most of the vineyards in the
region follow the valley, facing East or West. The vineyard terraces at around 360m above
sea level are planted mainly with Gewürztraminer and Merlot. Here, close rows of medium
planting density and extremely low yield produce the finest wines. In concert, the light
chalky soils together with the special climatic and microclimatic conditions of the warm
Southern exposure bring forth terroir wines which continually deserve the predicate of
“uniqueness”.

Harvest

Handpicked

Winemaking

Must fermentation for approximately 10 days, followed by malolactic fermentation and maturation for 18 months in French oak barriques (Limousine and Allier), almost all of which are new. Bottle maturation for about 8 months before being released. Since 2015, a state-of-the-art fermentation cellar has allowed the grapes to be processed with the utmost care, with whole-grape processing using via gravity fed technology. A highly sensitive destemmer and the gentle transport of the grapes by means of a specialized container, „cuvon”, which runs on rails, prove to be very gentle on the grapes and preserve their high quality. The state-of-the-art building is certainly unique in Alto Adige, and is probably one of the most modern fermentation cellars in Italy to produce great red wines of excellence.