Chardonnay Riserva 'Lina' Bergmannhof 2022

With its broad, creamy style, the Chardonnay 'Lina' Riserva from the Bergmannhof estate shows the great quality potential of South Tyrolean Chardonnays. The relationship between Chardonnay and Alto Adige is rather complex, since this noble variety of Burgundian origin, although cultivated in the area for a long time, was only recently identified. In fact, until 1985, the year in which the first official agricultural census of Chardonnay in South Tyrol took place, this grape variety was confused with Pinot Bianco, a grape to which it is related. Regardless of this, Chardonnay is now considered a traditional grape variety in South Tyrol, an area where it is able to give rise to some of the best white wines in the whole of Italy.

Bergmannhof Chardonnay Alto Adige Riserva 'Lina' is made from pure Chardonnay grapes from vines up to 30 years old grown in the area of San Paolo, a hamlet in the municipality of Appiano. Here, the soil is rich in gravel, clay and limestone, with very stony sections. Manual harvesting, carried out at the beginning of September, is followed by spontaneous alcoholic fermentation of the must in oak tonneaux with a portion of macerating skins. Malolactic fermentation is carried out completely and the wine is then matured for 18 months on the noble lees in oak tonneaux and barriques, until final bottling.

The Riserva Alto Adige Chardonnay 'Lina' from Bergmannhof has an intense straw yellow colour with beautiful golden hues. The nose releases aromas of baked apple, jammy lemon, white flowers and toasted hazelnut, enhanced by hints of butter and vanilla on the finish. In the mouth it is warm, full-bodied and pleasantly textured, well supported by crisp freshness and a tenacious sapid-mineral trail in an elegant and persistent progression.