Merlot Riserva Brenntal 2020 - 14,5% vol. Cortaccia Winery

Description: 
Color: Dense garnet. A fresh minerality vibrates intensely on the palate; fragrant herbaceous notes recall above-the-tree-line vegetation. The dense, clayey soil acts like a heat accumulator, affording the Merlot berries a creamy and soft fruit pulp. The tannins have a rare, fine grain, giving the fruit aromas typical of the site (cranberries, blackberries, cocoa and green tea) a southern temperament. Through a lengthy maloactic fermentation process, the opulent Brenntal Merlot accumulates autumnal notes like mushrooms and truffles, which linger in the savory finish. 

Grape variety: 
Merlot - Alto Adige DOC Riserva 

Production area: 
First hill site in Kurtatsch - Brenntal  220 - 250 m.a.s.l. Even the name of this site (Brenn = combustive, Tal = valley) is evocative of its climate. It is one of South Tyrol’s warmest sites, with temperatures that can hit 40 degrees in the summer. The steep Merlot vineyards are situated at altitudes ranging from 220 to 300 meters, below the Wine Road in Kurtatsch. The gravelly, loamy soil has excellent drainage, storing heat during the day and releasing it freely at night. 

Vinification: 
Temperature-constrained fermentation in roto-fermenters and aging in oak barrels (50% new wood) for 14 months, Assemblage in large wooden barrels. 

Matching: 


Serving temperature: 
16 - 18°C. 

Ageing potential: 
more than 10 years. 

Bottle to: 
750 ml - 75 cl - 0,75 lt. 

Allergens: 
wine can contain sulphites. 

Producer: 
Kurtatsch Winery 
Vineyards on breathtakingly steep slopes from 220-900m a.s.l. - such a large difference in altitude within one municipality is unique in Europe. The low elevations are among the warmest in Alto Adige and are perfect for important red wines. On the high-altitude sites above the main village of Kurtatsch, the white varieties find ideal conditions. The wide array of elevations and soil types dictates the philosophy of the province’s southernmost cooperative: to produce distinctive wines that reflect their growing site, their terroir, in the best way possible. 
A young team, since 2014 led by the winery’s president, Andreas Kofler, has oriented the winery towards sustainable management. Thanks to the 190 small-structured family farms that cultivate 190 hectares of vineyards, the best grape material for each individual location can be selected. This and the precise vinification of the individual vineyard sites create distinctive and unmistakable wines which truly reflect their place of origin. The result: fresh, mineral white wines from high locations and long-lasting red wines from warm locations. 

Cantina Kurtatsch 
Strada del Vino 23 
IT - 39040 - Cortaccia (BZ) 
info@kellerei-kurtatsch.it 
www.kellerei-Kurtatsch.it