Cellar Profile
This organic winery is situated in the picturesque village bearing its name in Alto Adige, nestled in the Southern Alps and Dolomite mountain ranges. Its hand-crafted mountain wines are painstakingly made with as little intervention as possible to best exemplify the unique terroir of the region. These red wine vineyards have some of the hottest daytime temperatures in all of Italy, rising to 40℃ during the summer months, but with a significant drop in temperature in the evening to retain freshness. The whites come from the hamlets of Hofstatt and Penon, with heroic vineyards planted on exceedingly steep mountainsides at elevations up to 2500 ft above sea level. These rocky outcrops have a multitude of geological peculiarities, giving their wines intense, saline-like minerality. These are amongst the most aromatic and flavourful white wines on earth, ranging in style from steely dry to lusciously sweet.
Region
The region of Trentino-Alto Adige is bordered by East and North Tyrol (Austria) to the northeast and north respectively, by Graubünden (Switzerland) to the northwest and by the Italian regions of Lombardy to the west and Veneto to the south and southeast. It covers 13,607 square kilometres and is extremely mountainous, covering a large part of the Dolomites and the southern Alps. Südtirol (where Cantina Kurtatsch is located) has an area of 7,398 square kilometres, all of it mountainous land and covered by vast forests. The climate here is Mediterranean (hot summer and cold winters) owing to the influence of the many mountain ranges, which stand at over 3,000 metres above sea level, and the wide valleys through which flows (from north to south) the main river, the Adige, and its numerous tributaries.
Vineyard
This Riserva gets its name from the vineyard where these grapes are sourced: Brenntal. The site, located at the northwestern end the village Kurtatsch, sits between 250 and 380 masl, in Alto Adige’s most typical area for Gewürztraminer. Like all Kurtatsch vineyards, it is organically farmed. The gravelly, loamy soil has excellent drainage. Daytime temperatures reach upwards of 40°C; it is this warm terroir that is responsible for the wine’s unique flavour and density, as well as for its exceptional longevity.
Winemaking
Hand harvested. Cold maceration of the must for 3.5 hours, followed by temperature-controlled fermentation in stainless steel tanks. Development and maturation on fine less for 12 months in stainless steel and for 6 months in large oak casks.
Varieties
The homeland of this grape—which literally means Spice (Gewürz) Traminer—lies in the foothills of the Alps. It originated in Germany but over several hundreds of years it has completely circumnavigated the Alps including Italy, Hungary, Romania, Croatia, France and Slovenia. Gewürztraminer has high natural sugar, however, it can be made from bone dry to intensely sweet. With its inherent aromatics of lychee, ginger and tropical fruit, Gewürz is a fabulous pairing with Indian and Asian cuisine.
Tasting Notes
Dry and powerful yet elegant, the Brenntal Gewürztraminer is a beautiful example of this noble variety. Aromatics of acacia honey, caramelized orange peel, mangoes, lychees and lavender. The palate follows suit, offering beautifully integrated mineral notes displaying a true sense of place. Brenntal’s aging potential, in fact, is quite impressive. For this reason, it is offered only as a Riserva.