This year Abbazia di Novacella, a historic winery located in the beauty of South Tyrol’s Valle Isarco, otherwise called Eisacktal Valley, presents two new single-vineyard wines and an unprecedented white wine from their Insolitus line.
Abbazia di Novacella: Historic Wine Making
The winery itself holds the distinction as one of the oldest active wineries in the world and is a landmark of the Valle Isarco. Presenting at the 55th edition of Vinitaly, held in Verona the first week of April, Abbazia di Novacella showcased its three new entries: a Sylvaner and a Pinot Noir Riserva from two vineyards located in Novacella and Cornaiano, and an original Riesling.
“We presented at the 55th edition of Vinitaly with our entire production and with three novelties that we were sure would attract the interest of the professional operators who would visit us at our stand,” explained Werner Waldboth, sales director of Abbazia di Novacella. “The two wines that come from individual vineyards, located in Novacella and Cornaiano, are two real crus that bestow unique characteristics on Sylvaner and Pinot Noir. Small quantities that we selected after careful study both in the vineyard and in the cellar.”
Alto Adige-Südtirol Valle Isarco DOC Sylvaner Stiftsgarten 2019
The Alto Adige-Südtirol Valle Isarco DOC Sylvaner Stiftsgarten 2019 originates from the Abbey Garden “Stiftsgarten” in Novacella, where, in soils rich in glacial sediments, Sylvaner grapes are grown in a vineyard that is more than 50 years old. Positioned at just over 600 meters above sea level, it has ideal exposure and produces very low yields naturally, resulting in a wine of incredible elegance and finesse. Fermentation and maturation take place in 70 % barrique and 30 % steel, followed by an aging period of two years before bottling, where it rests another 18 months before release for a total of 1,000 bottles.
Alto Adige-Südtirol DOC Pinot Noir Riserva Vigna Oberhof 2019
The Alto Adige-Südtirol DOC Pinot Noir Riserva Vigna Oberhof 2019 from Abbazia di Novacella originates on the Marklhof estate in Cornaiano, where Pinot Noir instead finds its home on a soil of gravelly-morainic deposits between 445 and 455 meters above sea level. After alcoholic fermentation in steel and malolactic fermentation in barriques, the wine matures again in small barrels for two years. After an additional 18 months of bottle aging, it is marketed in a total of 1,500 bottles.
Riesling Kabi
“The Insolitus Line represents our laboratory of ideas, a space dedicated to innovation and experimentation that we launched in 2020,” Werner Waldboth continued. “At Vinitaly, we are presented our ninth wine, Riesling Kabi, with its striking aromaticity, typical of the grape variety – a characteristic of this new label, which is inspired by Rieslings of Germany, having a very low alcohol content, 8.5%, and a residual sugar that is certainly noticeable in this youthful phase. Again, the production is modest, with only 2,000 bottles.”