2020 Sylvaner

Manni Nössing is about as humble as any winemaker can get, and just happens to also be making some of the top white wines coming out of all of Italy. Nössing works five hectares of vineyards around the town of Bressanone, northeast of Bolzano. These are all steep, hillside locations, most with southern exposures, and between 650 to 800 meters. The selection of grapes he grows runs the Alto Adige gamut, with Kerner, Grüner Veltliner, Müller Thurgau, Riesling, Sylvaner and Gewürztraminer. However, at this house, Kerner is king, and befittingly so. In fact, it’s difficult to compare Manni Nössing’s Kerner to many others (Günther Kerschbaumer of Köfererhof comes to mind). According to Nössing the real trick is battling the over-ripeness that’s obtainable from his vineyards. It’s because of this that he chooses not to green harvest or deleaf, which shades the fruit from the extreme light of the Valle Isarco. The majority of his portfolio is refined completely in stainless steel, spending around nine months on the lees, while 50% of the Grüner Veltliner spends that same time in neutral acacia barrels. Acidity, minerality and verticality are his recipe for success, and after tasting through the portfolio, and back to 2010 with Nössing at his winery, I’d say that he’s certainly got the right idea.