Wines Preview

Winkl

2023

“Winkl is a juicy, delicately fruity, minerally Sauvignon Blanc, which has been produced as a varietal wine since 1956. In the Terlano DOC area, this grape variety has long been grown with excellent results in the oldest vineyards.”
Rudi Kofler

Wine

Provenance: Alto Adige - Italy
Doc denomination: Alto Adige
Variety: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Vintage : 2023
Yield: 56 hl/ha
Orientation: South - Southwest
Slope: 5 - 70 %
Altitude: 280 - 580 m a. s. l.

Vinification

Manual harvest and selection of the grapes; gentle pressing and clarification of the must by natural sedimentation; slow fermentation at a controlled temperature in stainless steel tanks, aging on the lees partly in stainless steel tanks (80%) and partly in big wooden barrels (20%) for 7-8 months.

Technical data

  • Alcohol content: 13,5 % vol
  • Residual sugar: 1,8 g/l
  • Total acidity: 6,4 g/l

Suggested glass

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Glass for a young white wine
Serving temperature: 10 - 12 °C

Simple pairings

An interesting combination in spring with boiled white asparagus in Bolzano sauce as well as with steamed green asparagus; also with tuna carpaccio, smoked salmon and raw langoustines; and a typical South Tyrolean choice with nettle dumplings, as well as poached trout with vegetables or young goat’s cheese.

Detailed Pairings

Foam of white Terlano asparagus with quail eggs and bitter almond - Giancarlo Perbellini (Ristorante Perbellini),

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  • Wine description

    Color: intensive straw yellow with a delicate green shimmer
    Smell: Ripe fruit aromas of apricot, mandarin and passion fruit mingle with elements of elderberry, gooseberry and mint.
    Taste: The fruitiness continues on the palate in combination with a fine acidity. The wine scores with a good structure and a minerally but at the same time aromatic finish.

  • Vintage

    A mild winter with little snow was followed by a very dry and mild spring. Fortunately, this was followed by a cool and rainy May, so that the urgently needed water reserves could be replenished. The flowering of the vines was slightly delayed by cool temperatures in April and May.

    In the warm summer months of June and July there was sufficient precipitation, which led to a slight increase in fungal pressure with peronospora and oidium. However, major losses in yield were avoided thanks to our long years of experience and professional handling. A hot spell in August briefly slowed the ripening of the grapes. Following abundant rainfall at the end of August, the weather remained stable in late summer and was very fine in the fall. The result was a good harvest, which began with the Sauvignon Blanc on September 4.

    The 2023 vintage offers fresh, fruity wines with slightly lower levels of alcohol and can be classified as a good to very good vintage.

  • Aging

    Cool storage at constant temperatures, high level of humidity and as little light as possible
    Cellar temperature: 10 - 15 °C
    Good aging potential > 5 years

  • Soil
    • The quartz porphyry bedrock is of volcanic origin.
    • The light, sandy-loamy soils are the foundation for naturally limited yields.
    • The soils have a 55-60% quartz content and a slightly acidic pH.
    • The minerally and distinctive wines are highly prized for their outstanding longevity.

    Soil samples taken from three different sites have revealed the presence of a subvolcanic body around Terlano, which differs in composition from the classic volcanic rock. The skeletal sandy loamy soils have a high quartz content. The absence of calcium carbonate explains the slightly acid pH values. These factors result in a high permeability to water, a limited nutrient supply and thus balanced growth with naturally limited yields. Exceptional soil conditions influence the terroir of Terlano, where the vines have developed a specific reaction to micro-stress and produce their own terroir-specific polyphenols, which give the Terlano wines their distinctive character. The result is particularly salty wines with great tension and depth. The special mix of crystals and minerals in the Terlano soils produces white wines whose unique longevity never fails to impress the world’s wine gurus.

  • Climate

    The high peaks of the main Alpine chain protect South Tyrol from the Atlantic winds and cold northerlies, while the region benefits from the Mediterranean climate from the south. Terlano has a remarkable microclimate, with pronounced differences in temperature between day and night caused by the cool downslope winds from the mountains.
    To the south, a number of mountain massifs like the Adamello also have a protective function. As a result, annual precipitation is only about one-third of the average for the southern Alpine foothills, and the number of hours of sunshine is higher. The climatic conditions are not unlike those to be found in wine-growing areas like the Swiss Canton Valais.
    When the sun rises behind the mountains east of Terlano on one of the year’s 300 sunny days, it is already high in the sky as the wine-growing area has a westerly to southwesterly exposure. The lower atmospheric density permits more direct solar irradiation with less diffuse sunlight. That increases the difference between the slopes on the sunny and shady sides of the valley.

    Microclimate in Terlano
    Continental climate (Cfa Köppen-Geiger)
    Annual sunshine hours: ø 2135
    Maximum temperatures: 38,2 °C
    Average temperatures: 12,9 °C
    Minimum temperatures: -10,7°C
    Annual precipitation: ø 600 - 700 mm
    Average global radiation: 150,1 W/m²
    Winds
    North foehn: cool and dry down-slope wind
    Ora: valley wind system from the south, bringing in air from the Po Valley