Nose
Aroma of ripe wild berries and plum as well as notes of fine dark chocolate
Palate
Powerful and complex, soft fruit, long and persistent finish
Growing Conditions
This wine full of character comes from selected vineyards in the southern part of the Punggl site, planted with vines that are grafted onto low-growing rootstock and trained on wire frames (Guyot). With loving care of the vineyard, the exceptional quality of our Riserva grows under the best conditions on alluvial soil of fine sand with silt and clay deposits in the municipality of Magrè. The climatic conditions are characteristic of the warm valley floor of the lowlands of Alto Adige. From April to October, however, there are constant air movements during the day, which are regulated by thermal land winds. Their special feature is that they blow at certain times of the day: a warmer afternoon wind from the south ("Ora") and a cool breeze in the morning hours from the north.
Harvest
At the beginning of October.
Winemaking
The stems are removed from the grapes immediately upon arrival. After one day of cool maceration in order to improve the fruit bouquet, the wine is fermented at a constant temperature of 28 – 30 °C (82 – 86 °F) for about 10 days. During fermentation, the must is kept in regular contact with the skins through circulation pumping and gentle pressure from below. In this way, we achieve ideal results with the coloring from the skins and emphasize the fruitiness of the wine. After two gentle rackings, the wine is ready for a lengthy process of maturation which is played out in various phases in wooden and concrete barrels. Only after 12 months in French oak (barriques), 6 months in concrete barrels, followed by 6 additional months of aging in the bottle, does this wine find its way into the hands of the buyer who, although now in possession of an adequately aged and balanced wine which can be enjoyed immediately, will nevertheless be able to impart the Merlot Riserva additional completeness with several years of cellaring.
Aging
Cellaring: 6 – 8 years
Appearance
Color: Ruby red
Food Pairing
Red and white meat (veal, game, beef, lamb, chicken,
spicy (medium) mature cheese, vegetarian dishes