Sauvignon 'Quintessenz' Cantina di Caldaro Kaltern 2022

The Sauvignon “Quintessenz” from the Cantina di Caldaro Kaltern is an elegant white wine with a fragrant aromaticity produced in Pianizza di Sopra in the province of Bolzano, on the hills surrounding the nearby Lake Caldaro. The “Quintessenz” is made from pure Sauvignon Blanc grapes sourced from vineyards located at about 500 meters above sea level and exposed to the east, enjoying a significant temperature variation between day and night, and are cultivated using the Guyot method on soils characterized by clay-limestone soils with layers rich in porphyry and granite. The winery, which has its roots in the early years of the last century, is now a large cooperative reality, owning about 450 hectares of vineyards, having proudly become the spokesperson for the wines that originate in the vicinity of Lake Caldaro, one of the most well-known and loved areas of the entire Alto Adige.

The “Quintessenz” Sauvignon is produced with carefully selected grapes that are usually harvested around mid-September. The bunches, brought to the winery, are then destemmed, gently pressed, and separated from the skins. The must obtained undergoes spontaneous alcoholic fermentation, using exclusively indigenous yeasts and without intervening with filtration or clarification, partly in 500-liter oak barrels and partly in large wooden casks. At the end of fermentation, the wine remains in large cask aging for a minimum period of 10 months, with frequent batonnage, before being bottled and put on the market.

The Sauvignon “Quintessenz” from Kaltern presents itself with a bright straw-yellow color with slight greenish hues. On the nose, intense aromas of yellow and white fruit, including peach and apple, aromas of gooseberry and exotic fruit, floral notes of elderflower, and mineral hints appear, finishing with memories of balsamic herbs and a hint of spices. On the palate, it is structured, soft, and fine, endowed with excellent freshness played on a sculpted minerality and with a pleasant persistence in the finish.