Austria and Germany are brothers in various ways, and Trentino-Alto Adige (Trentino-Südtirol in German) is to Austria what Alsace (Elsass in German) is to Germany. Both Trentino-Alto Adige and Alsace are limitrophe regions of the countries they now belong to – the former an Austro-Italian enclave, the latter a Franco-German territory. Despite their small size, both are amongst the wealthiest in their countries and extremely quality-driven when it comes to wine.
Situated in the northernmost of the country and bordering Austria, Trentino-Alto Adige is one of the five Autonomous Regions of Italy, alongside the Aosta Valley, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Sardinia and Sicily. The smallest wine region of Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige is perhaps the oldest of all Italian wine regions, whose viticultural history can be traced back to the Rhaetians some 3,000 years ago. When Rome was still a republic, Rhaetian wines were mentioned in historian Cato the Elder’s De Agri Cultura and, according to naturalist Pliny the Elder, it was from the Rhaetians that the Romans learnt to store and transport wine in wooden barrels. When Rome became an empire, both Augustus and Tiberius were fans of Rhaetian wines; the latter was so renowned for his drinking prowess that he was nicknamed Biberius (from bibere, meaning to drink in Latin). As elsewhere in Europe, monastic influence began to take root in the 8th century, and remain important through the Middle Ages.
Trentino-Alto Adige comprises two sub-regions: Trentino and Alto Adige (Südtirol in German), each with roughly half of Trentino-Alto Adige’s total population of approximately 1 million. The former is culturally more Italian, with 90% of its inhabitants having Italian as native language, whereas the latter is decisively German, with 2/3 of its inhabitants having German as native language. Trentino-Alto Adige, and indeed half of Italy for that matter, was part of the Austrian Empire and subsequent Austro-Hungarian Empire until the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye in 1919.
Located along the Dolomites, Alto Adige is a particularly Alpine region. Mineral-rich and with huge diurnal variation, its vineyards are amongst the highest in Italy, producing white wines capable of challenging those produced in Friuli. Owned by the same family since 1675, Tiefenbrunner is one of the leading estates in the region. Jacky I.F. Cheong
Tiefenbrunner Kirchleiten Sauvignon 2011
Sourced from vineyards at up to 700m asl, matured on lees for 6 months and partly aged in large oak casks. Bright lemon-lime with luminous golden reflex, the invigorating nose offers pomelo peel, calamansi, greengage, elderflower and flint. With racy acidity and pulsating minerality, the focused palate delivers lemon peel, gooseberry, starfruit, sage and crushed oyster shell. Medium-bodied at 13.5%, the exotic entry continues through a spicy mid-palate, leading to a minerally finish.
Tiefenbrunner Pinot Grigio 2011
Sourced from vineyards at up to 350m asl, matured with regular batonnage in large oak casks for 7 months. Translucent citrine with pastel golden reflex, the uplifting nose offers pomelo, green apple, pear, fresh herbs and seashell. With crispy acidity and palpable minerality, the pure palate delivers lemon, greengage, melon, cut grass and rock salt. Medium-bodied at 13.5%, the citrusy entry evolves into a composed mid-palate, leading to a minerally finish.
Tiefenbrunner Pinot Bianco 2011
Sourced from vineyards at up to 600m asl, matured on lees with regular batonnage in large oak casks for 7 months. Light citrine with gleaming sunshine reflex, the refreshing nose offers lime peel, quince, peach and seashell. With energetic acidity and clear minerality, the cleansing palate delivers lemon peel, green apple, Tianjin pear and rock salt. Medium-bodied at 13%, the pristine entry persists though a lively mid-palate, leading to a minerally finish.
Tiefenbrunner Feldmarschall von Fenner Müller-Thurgau 2011
Sourced from vineyards at over 1,000m asl, matured on lees with regular batonnage 7 months, aged for 9 months in vats and 12 months in bottle. Brilliant citrine with shimmering golden reflex, the graceful nose offers pomelo peel, guava, peach pit, jasmine, white smoke and crushed rock. With generous acidity and articulate minerality, the classy palate delivers lemon peel, nectarine, apricot pit, sage, bouquet garni and rock salt. Medium-full bodied at 13%, the elegant entry evolves into an expressive mid-palate, leading to an indellible finish.
Jacky I.F. Cheong is a legal professional by day and columnist by night. Having spent his formative years in Britain, France,
and Germany, he regularly writes about wine, fine arts, classical music, and politics in several languages
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