Merlot from Brenntal, the warmest vineyard in Kurtatsch, twelve months in barrique. Bilberry and blackberry, green tea and white pepper, with dense velvety tannins. Falstaff gave this vintage 93 points.
Deep garnet red, dense in colour with a mature rim. The nose is dark and layered: bilberry and blackberry first, then cassis and elderberry, with a smoky note and peppery spice from the barrique. Behind that the alpine signature of Brenntal emerges — green tea, white pepper and a hint of mountain herbs. On the palate the wine is compact and warm-hearted, with a ripe fruit texture and tannins that are dense yet entirely velvety. The acidity is fine and holds everything in balance; with almost ten years behind it, this vintage has everything in place. The finish is long and emphatic. Serve with grilled red meat, game, braised dishes or aged cheese.
Kellerei Kurtatsch is a cooperative in the South Tyrolean village of Kurtatsch, founded in 1900 by forty-two growers. Today 190 member families farm 190 hectares of vineyard between 220 and 900 metres. Erwin Carli is the cellar master.
Brenntal is one of the named sites of Kurtatsch and the warmest vineyard in the village. The plot lies steeply on the northern side, between 220 and 300 metres, on red sandy-loamy soil with clay minerals and oxides.
On summer days temperatures climb to forty degrees. The moment the sun disappears behind the mountains the cool katabatic wind falls in, and it is precisely that day-night swing that gives the wine its spice and freshness. Yields are held to 40 hectolitres per hectare.
The grapes ferment in a temperature-controlled rotary tank. The wine then matures twelve months in barrique, followed by a period in large oak casks and a minimum of one year in bottle. The Riserva designation is regulated in Alto Adige and may only be used after that ageing.
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