Italiano
The Sauvignon Challenge
The first edition of the National Sauvignon Blanc Contest has come to a close with the fulsome superiority of Alto Adige wines, which in reality constituted around half the wines in competition.
The beginning of May saw the first edition of the National Sauvignon Blanc Contest, for which I was called to serve on the jury. It was staged in the Alto Adige town of Penon, just above Cortaccia, and some 50% of the wines were from the host region, with the rest from other parts of Italy. Each judge-taster sampled only 65 wines and the 15 wines with the highest ratings entered the final to be tasted again and re-evaluated.
The event’s organization was perfect, both in regard to service and the excellent temperatures for the wines, as well as ensuring the tastings were rigorous blind and that the same wines were not tasted by judges sitting next to each other. It should be noted that there was a large number of tasters native to the region, including many enologists. Although none of them had their own wines in competition, they certainly shared a common concept of how this varietal should be dealt with and how the wines should be evaluated, but there is nothing wrong in this.
There was a very interesting debate that followed a collateral tasting that compared some vintage Alto Adige Sauvignon wines. The tasting itself was also interesting because it allowed us to see how long these wines can age and how they become more complex and pleasing. Temperatures rose somewhat during the debate between organizers, enologists and local producers. One particular bone of contention was: given that the area dedicated to cultivating this successful varietal has surpassed 400 hectares, for the future expansion of this grape in Alto Adige, would it not be opportune to mention the wine’s area of origin on the label? This would indirectly indicate the soil most suited for winegrowing that sector operators already know as they do the characteristics of the grapes they produce. Or would it be better to focus on select wines from different areas in order to obtain the best results possible? Two basic camps emerged during the debate, with representatives from the wine cooperatives openly in favor of the second hypothesis, while the winegrowers present were decidedly in favor of the possibility, as some already do on their labels, of mentioning a precise, defined territorial zone. The argument was interesting in view of territorial expansion and let’s hope the confrontation between the two opposing camps leads to a common, positive direction for the territory and all producers involved, big and small.
The contest for 2017 Sauvignon ended with three Alto Adige on the podium: coming in first was Kellerei Andrian, Sauvignon Andrius; second was Franz Haas, Sauvignon Blanc; and placing third was Weingut Kornell, Sauvignon Oberberg. A common trait between these wines was that all came from vineyards situated at rather high altitudes, a factor that makes a difference.
My personal Top Three was slightly different, even if two of the wines were on my list (reviews to follow) and received a higher rating than what the final evaluation gave. Unfortunately, some wines that were given high ratings did not make to the finals, wines like Vie di Romans Sauvignon Piere 2017, Colterenzio Sauvignon Lafoa 2017 and Cantina di Merano Sauvignon 2017. Furthermore, two wines that did make the finals were different from those during the qualification phase, probably due to a less than fortunate homogenization of the bottles to have a single sample. Victims of this were Girlan’s Flora and the Sauvignon of Baron Widmann.
The following were the top three on my list:
AA Sauvignon Oberberg 2017 Kornell
91/100 - € 29
Made with Sauvignon from a single parcel situated at 550m above sea level in the zone of Appian Monte and matured on the lees in stainless steel vats for seven months. The wine has a pale, straw color with green reflections and clear and intense aroma of sylvan pine tones, winter forest, and warmer, captivating notes of boxwood and sandalwood. The vertical mouthfeel has a medium texture with a balanced salinity that adds to its drinkability. The finish has a captivating aftertaster and is intense and persistent.
AA Sauvignon Blanc 2017 Franz Haas
90/100 - € 20
The Sauvignon grapes were cultivated at an altitude between 400 and 800m above sea level in the town of Aldino. Part of the wine ferments in stainless steel and part in barriques where it matures on the lees for some eight months. A straw color and a classic and very clear aroma with green notes despite the vintage: tomato leaf, elder, maritime pine and pine nuts. The mouthfeel is nervous and saline with a medium yet incisive texture. The consistency of the flavor and aroma is excellent in the persistent finish.
AA Sauvignon Riserva 2017 Kellerei Bozen
90/100 - € 26
Sauvignon grapes from the warm and steep Renon slopes above Bolzano, at an altitude of 550m above sea level, and fermented and matured in barriques and other barrels. The straw color has yellow-green hues and the intense aroma has a classy smoky touch. The bouquet has sylvan notes of winter forest, nettles and eucalyptus, boxwood and sandalwood. The mouthfeel has a thick texture that is nicely articulated thanks to the salinity that upholds it well. The progression is vertical and intense with an excellent finish.
