Have you taken part in Merano WineFestival this year?
I’m traveling a lot in Alto Adige and am in love with this region. It offers great wines, delicious food, some stunning spots in Italy, and the people are amazing. Then, I couldn’t miss Merano WineFestival 2018.
The event has reached its 27th edition and even more wine lovers came to taste the great selection by The WineHunter.
Now I want to tell the news of this edition and share the new wine discoveries with you.
Are you ready? Let’s start!
Merano WineFestival 2018
Merano WineFestival 2018 took place from 9 to 13 November in Merano.
Kurhaus was also the main location of the event this year.
More than 950 wineries for the Official Selection and 120 artisans for Gourmet Arena attended. These numbers are impressive!
One of the new features of the 27th Merano WineFestival was The Circle – a new space dedicated to a wine and food tasting stage, entertainment, and relaxation.
Another new feature was the Spirits Experience near the Gourmet Arena, with a cocktail bar, tasting, and workshop.
Now, it’s time to talk about the wines!
My new 5 + 1 wine discoveries
Obviously, I couldn’t taste all the wines at Merano WineFestival 2018. But here are those that impressed me the most.
Riesling 1000 Alte Reben 2016 – Sorentberg
I’m a big fan of Riesling and this one struck me. Its color is a pale lemon. On the nose, you can detect the aromas of lemon, apple, honey, nectarine, and honeysuckle. The wine appears very elegant, with high acidity and a long finish on sugar cane. The production is very limited, only 600 bottles. 15 g/l is the residual of sugar.
Collio DOC Bianco Col Disôre 2015 – Russiz Superiore
Friuli–Venezia Giulia is a region which I don’t know so much. It offers several great Italian wines and I need to improve my knowledge of this area. Russiz Superiore is a property of Marco Felluga. This wine is a blend of 40% Pinot Blanc, 35% Friulano, 15% Sauvignon, and 10% Ribolla Gialla. It looks pale lemon. Its bouquet is complex, with the aromas of peach, sage, cotton candy, grapefruit, and eucalyptus. The wine is well balanced, with medium acidity, long finish, and a hint of tannins.
Barolo DOCG Bussia Riserva Oro 2009 – Parusso
When you think of Piedmont, the first thought is surely Barolo. This is a wonderful expression, produced only in the best vintages (1999-2001-2004-2006-2009). The color is deep garnet. The nose hints at interesting aromas of plums, blackberry, dried rose, nutmeg, and mint. There is a good correspondence between the nose and mouth. The acidity and the tannins are medium. The finish is long.
Sonnenuhr Wehlen Riesling GG 2012 – Weingut S.A. Prüm
I discovered this winery a year ago, really at Merano WineFestival and always with a Riesling. Here is another wine pearl by Weingut S.A. Prüm. Trust me, this winery is a guarantee! The color of the wine is a pale lemon. The bouquet proposes the aromas of flint, peach, lemon, apple, and yeasty note. The acidity is high and the finish is long and very pleasant.
Capri Rosso DOC 2017 – Masseria Frattasi
It’s a wine discovered by Guido Invernizzi, a great AIS mentor. It’s a blend of 80% Aglianico and Piedirosso, and 20% of Tintore and Greco Nero. Its color is deep ruby. On the nose, there are the aromas of plums, licorice, chocolate, blueberry, and cinnamon. It’s still young with great ageing potential. The use of new oak is well managed. Full body and medium tannins. Only 600 bottles.
Methius Trento DOC Brut Riserva 2002 – Dorigati
It’s not the current vintage on the market. It was taken on Monday, the day dedicated to the old vintages (another new feature of this edition). The longevity of this wine is incredible! Around 16 years on the lees (dégorgement in August 2018). It looks to have a medium lemon color. The bouquet offers the aromas of honey, apricot, honeysuckle, peach, and patisserie. The acidity is high, the mousse is very creamy and the finish is long. It’s a wine that never gets old!
Double Decker Tannico
Tannico is my favorite e-commerce when I need to buy some wines. And I buy a lot! For the first time at Merano, it was present with its Double Decker. Did you remember it at Vinitaly? On the bus, you could find several wine tastings of the highest quality. Braida, Ferrari Trento, Biondi Santi, Franz Haas, Louis Roederer, and Krug were the wineries involved in the epic wine tastings with extremely rare and old bottles. I took part in the Louis Roederer and Krug masterclasses.
Louis Roederer
This wine tasting was guided by Massimo Sagna, the official importer for Louis Roederer in Italy. It started with a short intro to the Champagne world, focusing on Louis Roederer. We finally arrived at the tasting. The wines were Brut Premier, Brut Millésimé 2012, Brut Blanc de Blancs 2011, Brut Cristal 2008, and Brut Rosè Cristal 2008. The journey from one glass to another was amazing! My favorite wine? Cristal 2008. It can be an obvious answer, but it’s an ace. Deep, elegant, and well balanced.
Krug
Silvia Rossetto, the brand manager of Krug, started to recount the history of Krug. A long way of several choices that have confirmed Krug as a top brand of Champagne. The wines were Grande Cuvée 166ème Édition, Vintage 2004, Grande Cuvée 160ème Édition, and Rosé 22ème Édition. Needless to say, the quality of the products was the highest. The success of Krug is based on the cuvée, in which you can find a huge number of reserve wines. My favorite wine from the tasting was exactly the Grande Cuvée 160ème Édition. Creamy, complex, and harmonious.
8-12 November 2019
Mark your calendar for the next edition!
Merano WineFestival 2018 has confirmed to be an important event with more than 11,000 visitors (+8,5% compared to the previous edition). The interest in bio&dynamica is increasing.
The next event organized by Helmuth Köcher will be Wine&Siena on 26 and 27 of January. You can stay up to date with the upcoming events in the private wine club. Request your free access!
Did you know the previous wines? Let me know by leaving a comment.
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Cheers
Simone
