Chardonnay

Troy is not a normal Chardonnay. Rather, it is the archetype of a Chardonnay, as Wolfgang Klotz, managing director of probably the most successful winegrowers' cooperative in South Tyrol, sees it. The grapes come from two selected vineyards in Söll, near Tramin. Not only does a Mediterranean climate prevail there, but also quite cold fall winds at night determine the vegetation. Both factors ensure optimal development of the plants and fruits. The berries are handpicked piece by piece and it is therefore clear to every wine connoisseur that this is an absolutely prestigious project of the cooperative. It is therefore not surprising that only 3,000 bottles of this vintage are sold in selected specialist shops and top restaurants.

Intense straw to golden yellow. Tropical fruit on the nose, a hint of camomile and mint, then fine toasted notes and a subtle nutty touch. On the palate, you can almost taste the proximity of the mountains, its clarity, freshness and intensity: exotic notes of yellow ripe fruit, then again some nuttiness and in addition again a beguiling liveliness and minerality, which ends in an equally long final. Chardonnay can be like this, chapeau! SUPERIORE.DE

"Very typical, smoky underpinned Chardonnay fragrance with yellow stone fruit, peach, delicate exoticism with pineapple and mango, supported by a smoky-nutty backdrop in which roasted hazelnuts and fine caramel bring Burgundy to mind again. Dense and full-bodied in the mouth with a creamy texture reminiscent of salty butter, wonderfully contrasted by the spicy-salty freshness that increasingly sets the tone." Weinwisser

"The 2019 Chardonnay Riserva Troy rises from the glass with enriching notes of hazelnut and custard before giving way to white flowers and hints of opal apple. This wine is elegant from start to finish, with ripe orchard fruits and sweet spices perfectly contrasted by salty minerality. The Troy finishes long and lightly textured, leaving notes of raw almonds and candied limes. Although a little hedonistic on the nose, the balance of this wine is a feast for the eyes. Cellaring should help integrate some of the 2019 oak flavours." Vinous

"One of the winery's top wines, the Cantina Tramin 2019 Alto Adige Chardonnay Riserva Troy opens a little slowly. It has had a long maturation process: 11 months in barrique and 22 months in stainless steel. With a little coaxing, this alpine white wine finally blossoms, showing orchard fruit, pie crust and baked apple." Wine Advocate

"Peach, pie crust, pineapple and mango crumble on the nose with hazelnuts and salted caramel. Full-bodied with a lovely buttery texture. Long and lush, yet with lemony freshness and saline undertones." James Suckling

"Brilliant yellow apples and lemon zest with a lurking wealth of toasted vanilla and lush, chalky minerality keeping the structure in check. Long and impressive." Decanter

"Intense bright straw yellow with green nuances. Opens with fresh notes of mint, then lots of clear fruit, pineapple and mango, some beeswax, very inviting. Extremely juicy and present on the palate, shows lots of tropical fruit, very appealing, well-integrated acidity gives tension, long finish." Falstaff

"One of the "untouchable" products from the Termeno winery's research. A lively Chardonnay, with a faceted nose, yellow plum, then rosemary, lemongrass and ginger. Notes of white pepper on the finish. The palate is tasty, with officinal fruity return and spicy memories." Luca Gardini

Bright golden colour, explosive aromas of quince, honey, wax, granite, blood orange, vanilla, white chocolate and straw on the full bouquet. On the palate, initial notes of roasted cashew and almond, followed by fruits such as white peach, pear and citrus. Exciting and very multi-faceted. SUPERIORE.DE

"The organic Monteverro 2020 Chardonnay offers a soft and supple character with orchard fruit, quince, pear and mild spice. This wine has a Burgundian quality, especially in terms of mouthfeel and texture, but it reveals its Italian roots thanks to the electric and vibrant notes of citrus and Mediterranean herbs that also appear." Wine Advocate

"Nice, toasty spice with ripe white peaches and mangoes, as well as walnuts and dried summer herbs. Also some freshly baked bread crust. Full-bodied, creamy and mouth-filling. The clean acidity comes through well with its phenolic and mineral nature. I like the racy cut of the spicy herbs on the finish." James Suckling

"Multi-layered nose of peaches, pome fruit, pineapple, sweet spices; of engaging salty minerality on the palate, but also plenty of polish and spice, long as an ell with verve and yet also character. Great wine!" Vinum

Gaja's daughter Gaia and grandmother Rey were the inspiration for this impressive Chardonnay: Gaia & Rey lies in the glass like a golden jewel and unfolds a balsamic fruit scent of yellow peaches, melon and banana. On the palate, the alcohol component and the use of wood are perfectly tamed by mineral and spicy components. SUPERIORE.DE

"The 2021 Gaia & Rey is bright and beautifully textured. Lemon confit, marzipan, spice and a kick of French oak all meld together effortlessly. The 2021 needs time in bottle to fully open, but it is quite attractive. Vineyard sources remain sites in Treiso and Serralunga." Vinous

"Always a fantastic Chardonnay with aromas and flavours of apple pie, nougat, vanilla and flint. Hints of salted caramel. Medium to full body with racy acidity and bright fruit. Complex and lively. Dense and restrained on the finish. Needs time to open up. Try after 2024." James Suckling

Bright golden colour, explosive aromas of quince, honey, wax, granite, blood orange, vanilla, white chocolate and straw on the full bouquet. On the palate, initial notes of roasted cashew and almond, followed by fruits such as white peach, pear and citrus. Exciting and very multi-faceted. SUPERIORE.DE

"The organic Monteverro 2020 Chardonnay offers a soft and supple character with orchard fruit, quince, pear and mild spice. This wine has a Burgundian quality, especially in terms of mouthfeel and texture, but it reveals its Italian roots thanks to the electric and vibrant notes of citrus and Mediterranean herbs that also appear." Wine Advocate

"Nice, toasty spice with ripe white peaches and mangoes, as well as walnuts and dried summer herbs. Also some freshly baked bread crust. Full-bodied, creamy and mouth-filling. The clean acidity comes through well with its phenolic and mineral nature. I like the racy cut of the spicy herbs on the finish." James Suckling

"Multi-layered nose of peaches, pome fruit, pineapple, sweet spices; of engaging salty minerality on the palate, but also plenty of polish and spice, long as an ell with verve and yet also character. Great wine!" Vinum

For more than thirty years, Vie di Romans has been vinifying only its own grapes in order to respect and express the respective vineyards of origin. The crus "Piere", "Vieris", "Vie di Romans", "Ciampagnis", "Dessimis" and others embody the sensory quintessence of their grapes of origin, each with its own recognisable and enduring historical character.

With the ambitious project "I Climat" (traditional Burgundian term), Gianfranco Gallo wants to present the terroir expression of his wines in the truest and most authentic way. Each individual terroir offers a certain variability: it is up to the winemaker to decide whether to capture its unique essence or to use it in a more general way.

At Vie di Romans, the Chardonnay variety was chosen because it has an innate, genetic ability to connect in a very noticeable way with the different soil-climate complexes in which it grows. The six different Climat wines come from specific Chardonnay parcels within the two crus vineyards, Vie di Romans and Ciampagnis, and contain the names or name components of the families who farmed these vineyards in the distant past - Nuts, Goss, Curie, Glesie, Boghis and Cortesar. In the past, local properties were very parcelled out and, unlike today, were farmed by the same family or owner for generations.

It is important to mention that uniform viticulture and vinification practices were used in the vinification of all six site Chardonnays, so that no external factor could compromise the unique and natural expression. Each vintage (since the beginning of 2015) is the result of 18 months of "elevage sur lie" followed by two years of bottle ageing. The extended maturation period was deliberately chosen to allow the wine to develop the authentic sensory expression that a specific soil-climate unit is capable of producing.

Gianfranco Gallo is convinced that the true identity of a wine and the terroir that produces it only emerges through longevity, because it is only through this process that the wine discovers its inner balance, stability and unmistakable identity. SUPERIORE.DE

The strictly limited wooden box of 6 contains the following wines:

1x 0,75l "Goss" Chardonnay Friuli Isonzo DOC 2017 / 14,00 %vol
1x 0,75l "Cortesar" Chardonnay Friuli Isonzo DOC 2017 / 14,00 %vol
1x 0,75l "Boghis" Chardonnay Friuli Isonzo DOC 2017 / 14,00 %vol
1x 0,75l "Nuts" Chardonnay Friuli Isonzo DOC 2017 / 14,00 %vol
1x 0,75l "Curie" Chardonnay Friuli Isonzo DOC 2017 / 14,00 %vol
1x 0,75l "Glesie" Chardonnay Friuli Isonzo DOC 2017 / 14,50 %vol

Castello della Sala has been producing one of Italy's most famous white wines, Cervaro, for many years. In recent years, it has become fresher and deeper at the same time, without the conservative, broad style that characterised older late harvest editions of this wine. On the nose, stewed apples, cream, notes of oak bark, mango and peach. The palate is full of tropical fruit with a fine vein of acidity and a precise mineral component. A long-lasting, beautiful white wine and rightly one of the most sought-after white wines in the wine world every year. SUPERIORE.DE

"The Castello della Sala 2022 Cervaro della Sala is based on Chardonnay and has a small part of the local grape Grechetto in the blend. The nose opens to a reductive note of flint or matchstick, but it lifts quickly to reveal soft orchard fruit, white peach and minty apple. There are delicately applied toasted notes with a hint of pecan or macadamia nut. To finish, you also get salty mineral notes that underline the extremely vertical or lifted personality of the bouquet." Wine Advocate

Troy is no ordinary Chardonnay. Rather, it is the archetype of a Chardonnay, as Wolfgang Klotz, managing director of what is probably the most successful winegrowers' cooperative in South Tyrol, sees it. The grapes come from two selected vineyards in Söll, near Tramin. The climate there is not only Mediterranean, but the vegetation is also characterised by rather cold downdraughts at night. Both factors guarantee optimal development of the plants and fruit. The berries are hand-picked one by one, so it is clear to any wine connoisseur that this is an absolutely prestigious project for the co-operative. It is therefore not surprising that only 3,000 bottles of this grape variety are sold in selected specialist shops and top restaurants.

Intense straw to golden yellow in colour. On the nose, tropical fruit, a hint of camomile and mint, then fine toasted notes and a subtle nutty flavour. On the palate, you can almost taste the proximity of the mountains, its clarity, freshness and intensity: exotic notes of ripe yellow fruit, then some nutty flavours and again a beguiling liveliness and minerality that ends in an equally long final. Chardonnay can be like this, chapeau! SUPERIORE.DE

"A great classic with alpine character that comes from the oldest Chardonnay vines in the highest parcels of the Tramin winery. The interplay of warmth and coolness is already evident on the nose, with fresh pomaceous fruit, citrus and orange zest with a subtle smoky undercurrent. Grippy, relief-like texture on the palate, very fine grip, has depth, cool spice and stony-salty notes, focussed and long." Weinwisser

"Very promisingly reductive on the nose. Mineral notes reminiscent of chalk and graphite, delicate spice and fresh citrus fruit. Clear and pithy on the palate, with plenty of flavour. Animating!" Vinum

"Ripe peaches and mangoes with apple crumble, honeysuckle and cream. Full-bodied with a sophisticated texture. Creamy and delicate with fresh floral undertones and a hint of orange toffee on the finish." James Suckling

"An aromatic strand of graphite, lime blossom and spice winds its way through the glazed apple and apricot flavours of this lean, vibrant white wine, which shows a kind of audacious energy alongside a lovely balance. The fruit profile combines with notes of macadamia nuts, clementines, vanilla and stones that unfold on the long finish." Wine Spectator

"The barrique-aged Chardonnay Riserva Troy has buttery oak notes with French almond pastry and pâtisserie. Sweet dried apricots continue to the palate. There is good lift, thankfully, with a Dolomitic character. Crushed quartz and other minerals evoke picturesque mountains and glaciers. Serve this wine extra chilled. Its fruity sweetness dovetails into a salty note with time." Wine Advocate

From deep moraine soil with a high salt and lime content, Vigna Au first opens with flint and walnut and then beguiles with a complex bouquet of yellow, exotic fruits. Intense, juicy, with just the right amount of acidity, it has a maturation potential of at least 15 years. Just 2,000 bottles of this exceptional Chardonnay are bottled each year. SUPERIORE.DE

"The Vigna Au lies at a relatively low altitude of 300 metres above sea level in Kurtatsch-Margreid. Great aromas, with very clear citrus fruit and flavours of yellow fruit, paired with fine oak spice. Also mineral notes reminiscent of graphite and salt. Extremely juicy, clear and animating on the palate. Pithy final." Vinum

"The 2020 Chardonnay Riserva Vigna AU blends rich notes of almond custard and confectionary spice with an invigorating blend of crushed green apples and lime zest. Luxuriously round and supple, the 2020 flows across the palate with masses of mineral-tinged orchard fruits offset by sour citrus. Lightly structured yet full of zesty tension, the 2020 finishes long with a caking of saline tension that resonates." Vinous