Grappa Abbagnac Riserva 42% Novacella Winery

Description:
The Abbagnac Grappa Riserva is a marc brandy distilled from a mixture of selected grape skins from the Neustift monastery winery and matured for at least 12 months in 500 liter oak casks. Cask ageing imparts a light tobacco colour to the brandy which is characterised by a fruity-complex bouquet and an especially multifaceted spectrum of flavours. 

Grape variety:
Grappa obtained from pomace of the Sylvaner, Kerner and Gewürztraminer grape varieties. 

Serving temperature:
14 - 16°C.

Ageing potential:
Grappa can be stored for a very long time. 

Bottle to:
700 ml - 70 cl - 0,7 lt. 

Producer:
Abbazia di Novacella Winery The Abbazia di Novacella winery is among the oldest active wineries in the world. At its founding, Abbazia di Novacella was lavishly provided with farms and land, among which were also vineyards, by Reginbert of Säben. As early as in 1177, Pope Alexander III. confirmed the Monastery's ownership of vineyards in the vicinity. Over the course of the centuries, the Abbey acquired a respectable ownership in vineyards by means of gifts, donations, purchases, and exchanges. To this very day, the Abbey is surrounded by terraced vineyards. They extend from the monastic complex, which is located at an altitude of 600 m (2,000 ft.), up the steep hills to an elevation of 900 m (2,950 ft.). Since the temporary dissolution of the Abbey at the beginning of the nineteenth century, not all of them have remained in the Abbey’s possession. But to this day, most of the local farmers deliver their grapes to the Monastery, where they are turned into wines with a strong character in the Abbazia winery. As proven by archeological finds, viticulture has been practiced on the protected slopes of the Isarco Valley for more than 2,500 years. The efforts expended for creating the vineyards are documented to this day by the many dry-stack walls that structure the slopes into terraces, thus reducing their steepness. The Abbazia di Novacella wines stand for a high level quality and suitability for aging. Our strict requirements for production and our motto of "We're better off with less, it it's good" makes for reliable wines. While each vintage has its own special character, the quality has remained equally high across the vintages. Our Classic selection includes fresh and fruity wines that have done very well in many tastings and ratings. They can already be enjoyed young. Across our wine-growing areas, rare and especially good locations have emerged at different elevations, where "everything works out well" – from the temperature distribution to the age of the vines to the soil characteristics. The Praepositus selection of cru wines is made from the very small quantities we harvest here. Their quality is exceptional in every regard; they can easily be aged for ten years or longer. The white wines come from Novacella… The vineyards in the Bressanone valley basin are the northernmost ones of Italy, extending from 600 to 900 m. Growing wine in such an extreme place is only possible in the best exposures. That is why vineyards around Novacella are found primarily in southern and southwestern exposures, and a very precise matching of varieties and microlocations is necessary in order to achieve the best results. If this is successful, grapes or wines with intense fruity aromas will grow here due to the large temperature fluctuations between day and night and the poor, rocky/sandy glacial moraine soils. The varieties typical for here, such as Sylvaner, Müller-Thurgau, Kerner, and Riesling cannot deny their Alpine origin. … the red wines comes from Cornaiano and Bolzano. For the red varieties, it is too cool in the valley basin of Bressanone. They are produced in the Abbey-owned vineyards in Cornaiano and Bolzano. Marklhof in Cornaiano is located on a sun-drenched, airy hill of moraine scree at an elvation of 420 m and is very well suited for Schiava, Pinot Nero, and the sweet Moscato Rosa grapes. The hot Bolzano valley basin at an altitude of 250 m with its sandy/silty soils is ideal for the strong Lagrein variety. Both the white varieties in Novacella as well as the red ones in Cornaiano and Bolzano are cultivated according to clear rules and harvested at peak maturity. At the winery, we use the greatest care to preserve each variety's character that reflects its terroir in order to produce wines that are the most typical, full of character, and capable of developing with age.