At times during the 2011 growing season, many Alto Adige winegrowers looked at their vineyards with apprehension, but the sunny days of late summer provided ideal conditions. By autumn, thoroughly ripe, healthy grapes were ready for harvest.
The 2011 harvest in Alto Adige began two weeks early, lasted considerably longer than expected and, with just a few exceptions, was accompanied by optimum weather conditions. The results can be tasted in the 2011 vintage wines. Winegrowers and producers throughout the various sub-zones in Alto Adige have high hopes for an outstanding vintage. The grapes demonstrated consistently high sugar levels. In comparison to last year, acidity was somewhat lower, but the finished wines will be balanced. White wines are showing a crisp freshness, and of the red wines, Lagrein and Pinot Noir in particular promise great drinking pleasure.
2011: The Right Weather for the Grapes
The spring of 2011 was by far the sunniest of recent years. In the Bolzano area, the sun shone a total of 788 hours, with an average temperature of 59.2° F. The spring was one of the warmest since the region’s first meteorological record, more than 90 years ago. An extended dry spell was followed by substantial rains in June, though temperatures remained moderate. In July, temperatures fell below the previous years’ average. August, however, was an exceptionally hot month, greatly increasing temperature averages for the summer. September weather was ideal.
Urban von Klebelsberg of the Abbazia di Novacella Winery commented: “A very warm August and a wonderful September led to early grape maturation, pushing the harvest forward by several weeks.” Several grape varieties had to be harvested more or less at the same time, which meant that in the cellar, space and machinery were pushed to their limits. “The grapes were a pleasant surprise,” von Klebelsberg added, “with somewhat lower acidity than last year, but without exception at 20° sugar content on the KMW scale.” Quantity-wise, more grapes were harvested compared to last year. Newly planted vineyards which began to yield this year made contributions to the annual total. The Grüner Veltliner is being eagerly awaited, with expectations for high quality, and sufficient yields to satisfy fans of this variety. Patience will still be needed, but experience and efforts in the cellar are an indication of good results to come.
Rudi Kofler, winemaker at the Terlan Winery, stated, “Thanks to the extremely warm temperatures, work started in the early morning hours in order to bring the grapes to the winery while the temperature was still as cool as possible.” This prevented malolactic fermentation from happening too quickly. “Even though acidity levels were somewhat lower than last year, we are still within a range that allows us to expect good wines. Yields are around the average, higher than last year, but five percent lower than desired,” he continued. Whites in particular are showing great potential, especially the Chardonnay and Gewürztraminer. The red wines have already been vinified. Since the grapes came to the cellar very ripe, the wines have an immaculately dark color which, along with balanced tannins and a fine structure, bodes well for the finished wines. The Lagreins will be particularly interesting this year, and not just those at the highest quality level.
Christof Tiefenbrunner of Tiefenbrunner Winery in the Bassa Atesina area expressed exceptional satisfaction that the hail at the end of August hardly inflicted any damage on the grapes. At that time, the berries were already soft enough so that the hail did not have the same effect as in the Oltradige area. Growers were by and large satisfied with yields, with only the Pinot Noir producing less than expected. Considering the inherent fickleness of this variety, this is not unusual. The otherwise ideal conditions for whites produced optimal maturation and a high level of alcohol gradation. “What is exciting is the fact that the organically grown wines are showing a better acidity/pH relationship than the conventionally grown wines,” Tiefenbrunner commented. The whites should develop power, especially the Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer, and Pinot Blanc. Among the reds, Pinot Noir and Lagrein especially stand out.
In the Val Venosta, the health of the grapes at harvest was generally good to very good, as there was no considerable damage from hail. Only with Pinot Noir did the lasting dry weather in early September lead to a shrinking of the berries, requiring a quick harvest of this variety, depending upon the vineyard location. The high daytime temperatures allowed sugar concentration in the grapes to rise quickly, while the warm nights caused acidity to continuously drop. This required attentive monitoring over the course of ripening in order to achieve mineral-rich wines characteristic of the terroir. Grapes were brought in during the first days of October. The white wines are already showing expressive fruit and are in general are more balanced than in 2010, according to Martin Aurich of the Unterortl Wine Estate.
And one last word on the hail, from Hans Terzer of the St. Michael-Eppan Winery: “After three hailstorms, we are by and large satisfied, and in spite of a loss of 40%, we managed to escape with just a black eye. This is due to the discipline of the growers, who tirelessly worked the vineyards removing the affected berries, preventing spreading of rot to the healthy grapes.” The final hailstorm on August 27th caused the winegrowers to begin harvest earlier than under normal conditions. There will be very good wines this year, in particular from those areas which suffered little or no damage from hail. These include Missian, St. Pauls, and Eppan Berg, the latter of which is renowned for its outstanding Pinot Blanc. Things are looking more difficult, though, with Vernatsch (Schiava). The spotted-wing drosophilia compelled winegrowers to head for the vineyards earlier in order to salvage at least a part of the harvest. There will of course be Schiava this year, but it could be scarce.
