Trentino &amp; Alto Adige: The Sky’s the Limit

BY ERIC GUIDO | JUNE 02, 2022The regions of Trentino and
Alto Adige are quite divided, with a more Italian feel in the southern Trentino
and, Austrian influences in the northern Alto Adige. In reality, you’d never
notice any border or much of a difference while driving up from Veneto, passing
Lake Garda and into the valley that takes you past Trento and onto Bolzano. For
most of the trip, mountains line both sides of the canyons with sheer rock
cliffs shadowing tiny villages that lay on their foothills. At each turn there
seems to be another small castle or keep, an ancient watchtower or stronghold
perched high above. It’s a dramatic sight to see, and it’s only when you leave
your car, speak to a local or examine the grapes found throughout the vineyards
that it becomes clear just how different this region, which is really two
regions, actually is.&nbsp;<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1654117094402-1-The+Amphora+aging+chamber+at+Foradori_copy2.jpg">The Amphora aging chamber at Foradori.The Topography, Geology and Grape Matter Looking at a map, the
wine regions of Trentino and Alto Adige are spread out like a tuning fork or a
blossoming flower that cuts deeply into three river valleys that flow down from
the Alps and through the Dolomites. At its base there is Lake Garda, which
provides warming currents that swell up to the north. This is hilly terrain but
not quite mountainous yet, and the soils are alluvial, rich in sand and pebbles
that have been deposited by glacial movements and the Adige River over the
course of millennia. These surroundings are perfect for the bulk of the region's
wine production, as forests mixed with apple orchards give way to Chardonnay,
Pinot Bianco and Pinot Nero vineyards that feed the sparkling Trentodoc
category. This is also where the Trentino DOC exists, a catchall of wines
labeled by varietal and encompassing a menagerie of local and international
grapes. It isn’t until we move further north that the slopes of Monte Baldo and
the Lessini Mountains rise mightily above us, seeming to line the highway like
a great wall on both sides. Here we find the Bordeaux-inspired wines and
vineyards of San Leonardo, with vines that climb steadily up the slopes of the
valley. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Carmenere have been growing
here long enough that the inhabitants of the area consider them “local”
varieties, even if we think of them as international.&nbsp;

From here on out, it’s
quite clear that Trentino is a mountainous region, especially moving further
north into Campo Rotaliano and the limestone-rich sand-and-gravel mixed soils
of the Noce River basin. Standing within the Teroldego vineyards on the valley
floor and looking up at the surrounding peaks, really puts our tiny human size
into perspective. The Foradori family has practically placed this section of
Trentino on the map, having brought international renown to the Teroldego grape
with a style that was once large-scaled and slightly intimidating. Those wines
of decades past still inspire other winemakers of the region, even though
today’s Foradori wines are now based on biodynamics, non-intervention and
primarily aging in amphora.

It’s a short trip north
to reach Bolzano, crossing the border into Alto Adige and driving past Mazon, one
of the Grand Crus of the region's production of Pinot Noir. There was a time
when Pinot Nero, as it’s called here, seemed of little importance, but there’s
been a surge in quality and a quest for purity that now sets it apart. It
doesn’t hurt that global warming now allows producers to reach optimal
ripeness, and in some cases, beyond.

Arriving in Bolzano
creates a total paradigm shift. From a precipitation standpoint, Bolzano is one
of Italy’s warmest and also driest cities. When considering its pre-alpine
location, one would never consider that this would be the perfect place to
create big, dark and sometimes juicy red wines. However, it’s the city’s lower elevation
at the confluence of three river valleys that creates its unique terroir.
What’s more, Bolzano sits in a rain shadow created by the surrounding
mountains, receiving warming currents from Lake Garda in the south while also
being shielded from the extreme cold of the Alps to the north. During the day,
the sun bears down hard on the city and the terraced vineyards that line the
hills and soils of volcanic origins around it, but the moment it sets,
refreshing cold air rushes in to balance the warmth of the day. This location
is the perfect place for the indigenous Lagrein and Schiava grapes, as well as
the St. Magdalener DOC that combines the two varieties to create some of the
most deep and characterful, yet also fruity, wines imaginable. It's also the
home of the traditional Nusserhof estate and their walled-in vineyard, which
exists in spite of the city that grew up around it.

Looking north, the
valley splits in two, with the Adige River flowing down from the northwest,
where we find Terlano, and the Isarco River flowing from the northeast, where the
Abbey of Novacella is located. This is a region that thrives primarily on their
cooperatives, where each town you pass appears to have its own winery that
bears its namesake. Surprisingly, these are also some of the best producers of
white wine in Italy. The elevations throughout the two valleys steadily
increase and soils change drastically, with thriving apple orchards and
alluvial soils beside the river giving way to vines planted in primitive rock
mixed with quartz, slate or mica along the dizzying heights of the surrounding
mountains.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1654116247558-2-Inside+the+cellar+of+Peter+Dipoli_copy.jpg">Inside the cellar of Peter Dipoli.

The Alto Adige white
varieties are numerous: Pinot Grigio, Pinot Bianco, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer,
Sauvignon Blanc, Sylvaner, Kerner, Müller-Thurgau, Riesling, Moscato Giallo and
Grüner Veltliner, each finding its own terroir throughout the hills and up
along the high elevation terraces that look down upon the valley. Because of
this and in order to fill their portfolio with the best expressions possible,
it is not unusual that producers have vineyards spread out all through the
valleys. In the case of Sylvaner and Kerner, it’s in the Isarco valley where
they find an ideal home. Speaking of top whites, one cannot ignore the Pinot
Bianco-dominated blends produced by Cantina Terlano, a winery and town in the
Adige Valley that inspired its own DOC, Alto Adige Terlano. Elevations here
span from 250 to 900 meters, often requiring the use of suspension bridges
above deep canyons to reach vines at death-defying heights. A winemaker's
passion for grapes and vines becomes apparent when considering the work that
goes into creating the wines of this region.&nbsp;The Confusion of a Multilingual Wine Region Things are not all
cut-and-dry in Trentino and Alto Adige. One of the biggest sources of
confusion, primarily from Alto Adige, is that producers will often have their
wines labeled, both with the name of the variety and even the winery, in one
language to market to the German and Austrian customers, and then another to
appeal to the Italian and American markets. While I understand the desire to
make things more comfortable to each subset of customers, this is extremely
limiting to the region as a whole. Even when sending samples for review, a wine
would be sent under one winery name, but on the label, an entirely different
name would appear. Or the winery would send a wine listed as one variety, yet
the label would state an alternate name or spelling. As an example, Sauvignon
Blanc becomes Sauvignon, Grüner Veltliner becomes Veltliner, Silvaner becomes
Sylvaner, Pinot Bianco becomes Weissburgunder, Pinot Noir becomes Pinot Nero or
Blauburgunder and Schiava becomes Vernatsch or Kalterersee. In an attempt to
make things as simple as possible, when I refer to a producer or a wine, I use
the name as it is stated on the label. I see this as the only way that a reader
could properly find the wine in most English and Italian speaking
markets.&nbsp;<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1654116260139-3-Old+vines+high+above+the+Adige+River+valley-COVER_copy.jpg">Old vines high above the Adige River valley. Vintage Talk in the Days of Global Warming The producers of
Trentino and Alto Adige are very happy with the 2019, 2020 and 2021 vintages
that make up the bulk of their current portfolios. While it’s becoming more and
more rare, in the age of global warming, to have a vintage that does not allow
producers to achieve physiological ripeness, the real problem here is preventing
the crop from going overboard. It’s because of this that alcohol levels can
soar quite high in many of the region's wines. Sauvignon Blanc, Kerner and
Sylvaner are perfect examples, and producers work hard with canopy management
and pick-dates in an effort to maintain balance. Many have also begun using
experimental varieties, such as Bronner, Solaris and Zweigelt, in their warmer
locations, while looking to higher elevations for new plantings. All of that
said, sun-kissed vintages sell, and all three vintages delivered that, with
2019 imparting more depth and structure across the board, 2020 being a bit more
promising for red varieties, and 2021 having higher expectations for white
wines.

While the 2019
vintage was generally warm, it was also quite balanced, and it shows in the
wines. This was a year with a very cold winter and a much warmer spring;
however, a late frost in May reduced yields across much of the region. June was
rainy, which was helpful for the rest of the season, as the summer turned hot
and dry. The lack of strong heat spikes was a saving grace, and the diurnal
shifts from night to day were drastic, allowing the plants to recover and reach
optimal ripeness over time. The harvest was later than average, yielding lower
quantities than normal, yet it took place under perfect conditions. The 2019s
show the warmth of the year with their radiant fruit profiles but also possess
balanced structures and bright acidity. It’s a very attractive mix.&nbsp;

The 2020 vintage
started warm throughout the winter months, with a cooler and rainier period
during March but then returned to higher-than-average temperatures for the rest
of the spring. As a result, budding was later than usual, and bloom was
earlier. Rain and thunderstorms in the spring into summer, along with warm
temperatures, created a high risk for disease, keeping producers in the
vineyards to maintain the health of the vines. While August brought dryer
weather overall, thunderstorms near the harvest season made choosing pick-dates
difficult for producers. Many of the white varieties suffered as a whole, with
the later-picked reds benefiting from more temperate and dryer conditions. In
the end, the whites are ripe, supple and round, and while average acidities are
reported as normal, one cannot help but feel a lack of motivation on the
palate. The reds come across as more energetic and fruit-filled, but not as
deep as the best vintages.

The early release,
fresher 2021s show a lot of promise for the bigger wines that will be
released later this year and into next. While generally a warm vintage with a
number of severe rain and frost events (this is one of the most unwelcome
results of global warming), the harvest in 2021 was completed under ideal
conditions. Most producers will tell you that this is the reason for the
balance that’s found within the wines. I can’t argue from what I’ve tasted so
far. I’m looking forward to seeing what’s to come from 2021 as the more
important wines begin to be presented.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1654116277021-4-Old+pergola-trained+vines+in+the+San+Leonardo+vineyards_copy.jpg">Old pergola-trained vines in the San Leonardo vineyards. 

All of the wines from
this report were tasted either with producers in Trentino and Alto Adige in
January of 2022, or in our offices in New York City in February and March of
2022. Of note, the wines of the Trentodoc region were purposely left out of
this article as they are now featured annually in our sparkling wine report at
the end of the year.© 2022, Vinous. No portion of this article may be copied, shared or re-distributed without prior consent from Vinous. Doing so is not only a violation of our copyright, but also threatens the survival of independent wine criticism. <hr> You Might Also Enjoy<a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/friuli-venezia-giulia-just-try-to-keep-up-apr-2022">Friuli-Venezia Giulia: Just Try to Keep Up</a>, Eric Guido, April 2022 <a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/on-the-cusp-of-evolution-amarone-and-valpolicella-apr-2022">On the Cusp of Evolution: Amarone and Valpolicella</a>, Eric Guido, April 2022 <a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/soave-the-long-road-home-apr-2022">Soave - The Long Road Home</a>, Eric Guido, April 2022<a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/trentino-alto-adige-worlds-apart-nov-2020">Trentino &amp; Alto Adige: Worlds Apart</a>, Eric Guido, November 2020

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