“Quarz” Sauvignon Bianco Alto Adige Terlano DOC 2024

Cantina Terlan | South Tyrol
Kellerei Terlan | Silberleitenweg 7 | IT 39018 Terlan

01081024 · 0,75 l · 88,00 €/l · Price (DE) incl. VAT, excl. Shippingavailable immediately
Limitation of 12 articles per customer

Beneath the village of Terlan, on the slopes of the Adige Valley, lies a geological secret. A sub-volcanic rock that differs in composition and character from anything known to the wine world. The porphyry is the foundation – volcanic, millions of years old, interspersed with fine quartz inclusions. The resulting soils are sandy-loamy, slightly acidic, free of lime and poor in nutrients. Highly water-permeable, naturally yield-limiting. A soil that stresses the vine – and forces it to dig deeper, become more concentrated, more mineralised. Since 1893, 143 members of the Cantina Terlan have been cultivating these slopes. What they do here is unique in the world of wine: white wines that last for decades, whose longevity is reminiscent of the Grands Crus of the Côte d'Or. Cellar master Rudi Kofler named the quartz after the rock to which it owes everything. "Delicate like the fine quartz inclusions in the Terlan porphyry – that is our Sauvignon." Fine texture. Depth. Salty finish.

The 2024 vintage began with the wettest spring since 1965. Cool, damp conditions until early summer, delayed flowering, trickling – sauvignon Blanc in particular lost between 15 and 40 per cent of its harvest. What remained was more concentrated than usual. The grapes that cellar master Kofler and his team selected by hand in September harboured the essence of a difficult year – and the quality that such years can produce. Gentle whole-cluster pressing, clarification by natural sedimentation, slow fermentation at a controlled temperature. Nine months sur lie – half in large wooden barrels, the other half in steel. Assemblage three months before bottling. 40 hectolitres per hectare – a yield that explains the concentration.

Brilliant straw yellow in the glass. A world of its own on the nose: mango, papaya, lime, red grapefruit, lemongrass, lemon balm, mint, a hint of green tea – and underneath, cool and unyielding, the minerality of flint and a faint whisper of gooseberry. A fascinating interplay on the palate: juicy, exotic fruit and a fine, cutting minerality that keep each other in tension. Full, harmonious opulence, carried by a racy acidity and a finish of impressive length and salinity. It has well over ten years Storage potential, but anyone drinking it today will already understand why this wine is world-famous. SUPERIORE.DE