(2024) Schiava is one of the oldest cultivated varieties in Trentino. In the Middle Ages, farmers invented a technique to control the growth of the vines by tying young plants to a rigid support. This gave rise to the expression ‘Cum Vineis Sclavis’, literally ‘enslaved vines’, later shortened to schiava, meaning 'slave'. Vines for this wine are at least 30 years old, planted at 250-350m altitude. It spent 10 months on the fine lees, 40% in stainless steel and 60% in concrete vats. It has a delicate, medium-pale garnet colour moving into orange. Made in a leafy, mellow and light style (only 12% alcohol) there's a soft, easy drinkability with very mellow tannins and a nip cherry acidity. One to please the Pinot Noir or Beaujolais drinker perhaps, but with its own Italian twist of bittersweetness in the finish.
(2023) A pale rosé from high-altitude vineyards in Trentino’s Alto Adige which had around 6-8 hours of skin contact to produce a wine with a pink-copper hue. Tutti-Frutti confectionery nose, cherry and lipstick, plus a little lime. The palate has lime and peach in abundance, really quite a full fruitiness here, quite different from the almost austere character of some Provence rosés, a little spice and bitter orange in the finish too. A bit different and well done. £9.00 Club Card price.
(2023) Hard to believe that the 2000 vintage of this same wine was my 'Wine of the Week' 22 years ago, but here we are in 2023, not 2001, and the wine is better than ever. From the north of Italy, Pinot Grigio is the ubiquitous pub wine with oceans of refreshing but undistinguished stuff exported to the UK each year. But there are producers of superior quality products, and this still moderately priced example fits that bill. CAVIT is a giant cooperative that dominates wine production in the Trentino region, the Tyrolean part of Italy close to the Austrian border. They are leading lights in research and improving quality, and here we have a Pinto Grigio with the requisite lemons and limes aromas, touched with florals, but the wine is stamped with quality: a little more texture on the palate than you might expect, racier, punchier flavours, but still light on its feet and with perfect acid balance. Watch the video for more information and food-matching ideas.
(2022) From a band of limestone soil hillsides on the slopes of Mount Baldo, vines grow at an altitude of around 450- to 600 metres. Fruit is destemmed, vinified in stainless steel, then matured in French oak barriques for 20 months. A slightly muddy edge to the colour here, but clear cherry and herb-infused fruit on the nose, then a cool, firm palate, the oak adding a bit of polish to spicy and dark fruit flavours, with a refreshing liquorice twist in the finish.
(2022) From a mature vineyard at 250m above sea level on gravel and sand. The must is divided between steel tanks, terracotta amphorae (with seven months skin contact), and small, French oak barrels. Gorgeous nose, crushed oatmeal and almond over creamy apple pie with a hint of something more floral and lightly wild and herbal. The palate has a beautiful combination of sweets ripe fruit, that sheen of creamy, nutty oak and a fabulous citrus zest and brilliance in the finish. A terrific Chardonnay with equal poise and pleasure.
(2022) The vineyards for this wine are 10 years old, located at 250m above sea level on sand and limestone soils. Fermentated with indigenous yeasts, it was matured for over 10 months in small oak barrels. Really very pale and translucent in colour, the nose is earthy, warm, with mushroom and truffle over ripe red berries. Small floral and herb nuances add complexity. In the mouth a wonderfully sweet, peppery and spicy array of gentle flavours have a ripeness, but there's also a firm, twiggy bracken and cherry firmness to the taut tannins and acidity. Long and delicious, it is an outstanding Italian Pinot.
(2022) From a vineyard classed as experimental - although it has been run by CAVIT since the 1980s. Here a number of varieties and clones are grown for their agronomists and winemaker to experiment. Chardonnay has been planted in Trentino since it was an Austrian territory. This is barrel-fermented and aged until the May following harvest, then best barrels are selected for this cuvée. Lightly toasty and spicy on the nose, oak relatively obvious but topped by fresh lemon verbena fruitiness. Palate quite cool and clean, again it is citrus and yellow apple that carries the palate, acidity quite tangy and lightly salty perhaps.
(2022) A classic Trento DOC traditional method sparkling wine, the composition 100% Chardonnay with 36 months on the yeast. Again vineyards here rise to over 600 metres on volcanic soils identified by PICA. The base wine goes through malolactic fermentation, and the dosage 7g/l. Very creamy and with Chardonnay richness yet apple and lemony bite to the fruit on the palate. Nicely balanced, not particularly complex, but refreshing and easy to drink.
(2022) Introduced in 2014, certain blocks for Pinot have been indentified, and the wine is given some bottle age before release, so this is the current vintage. The wine does see some 225-litre barrel ageing, but very little oak is new and toasting is light. More elegance here than the 2017 tasted recently , though some development with an autumnal feel to the fruit, a little forest floor and mushroom character, cherry-ripe fruit coming through on the mid-palate. The spice and light toast of the oak sits well against the crisp, light- to medium-bodied style of the wine, with spicy notes into a finish balanced by clean tannins and acidity.
(2022) There are more than 20 varieties grown in Trentino, but among the native grapes, Lagrein has developed a small international reputation. It is a member of the Syrah family, and here gives a very deep, vibrant colour, a touch of smokiness and violet, the palate very smooth, with a buoyancy of ripe, sweet fruits, almost strawberry notes of sweetness among more tart and linear berry flavours. Nice spice and firmness of tannins, and very good acidity, add up to a very drinkable red.
