Adamantis 2022, the new vintage of Cantina Valle Isarco’s flagship cuvée

Cantina Valle Isarco – Kellerei Eisacktal – presents the third vintage of Adamantis, the flagship cuvée produced in only 2,000 bottles. The 2022 vintage reaches the shelves after three years of aging, including 18 months in barriques. It is the most ambitious project of the smallest and youngest South Tyrolean cooperative, led by general manager Armin Gratl.

“In the beginning it was very difficult; while with a Chardonnay in barrique you can be inspired by Burgundy and with a Pinot Noir you can draw inspiration from various established models, to make a Valle Isarco cuvée we had no reference point,” explains Gratl. “For this reason, we carried out many experiments until in 2020 we managed to develop the right blend, capable of producing the wine we imagined: an important, structured, and complex white that would be an authentic testimonial of our territory.”

50% Sylvaner, 20% Grüner Veltliner, 20% Pinot Grigio, and 10% Kerner. Four varieties that represent the viticulture of the Valle Isarco, combining finesse and sapidity. Thus, Adamantis aims to be not only a “Super Alto Adige” but also an authentic ambassador of the territory.

“We selected the best parcels through careful zonation, sometimes even choosing just two rows,” explains Gratl. “We harvest the grapes in 12 kg crates and for aging we use about 50% new barriques and the rest second and third passage. The final blend is refined by selecting the best barrels. We want to guarantee a consistent style because the consumer who orders an important bottle must know what to expect.”

Adamantis is the symbol of the Valle Isarco, one of Europe’s most suitable territories for mountain viticulture. The vineyards reach an altitude of one thousand meters, with slopes of up to 60%, 90% terraced and worked almost entirely by hand. A wine that, despite aspiring to a prominent role among the “top player” wines in the restaurant industry, does not want to give up a character that is more about “authentic territory” than “winery.”

“Heroic viticulture carried out with passion by our members, who own an average of barely one hectare each. Adamantis best represents the value of our territory: extreme selection, precision in the vineyard, and stylistic continuity.”

Now in its third edition, it is time for Adamantis to face itself in a first vertical tasting

The 2022 vintage, warmer than previous ones, gives the wine notes of fresh tropical fruits, white pepper, incense, and a citrus finish. On the palate, it is complex, round, and creamy. Notes of ripe exotic fruit and spices return. The sapidity is marked, accompanying a long, elegant, fresh, and citrusy finish.

The product of a cooler vintage than 2022, Adamantis 2021 presents itself as decidedly more vertical. Fresh fruit notes are accompanied by much more mineral hints of gravel and granite. In the mouth, it is equally tense with greater freshness and sapidity than the 2022, which still leaves room for exotic fruit on the finish.

A great start. Two years later, the first release of Adamantis confirms expectations. There is evolution, but it is “delicate,” a sign of the longevity of this cuvée. A momentum that sits in the middle of the two previous ones and, of the three, is the one that most mitigates the notes of the wood aging.

Cuvée Adamantis, Cantina Valle Isarco: «Così l’Alto Adige investe sui vini premium»

The Valle Isarco is a territory with an ancient viticultural tradition, with evidence dating back to 500 BC. The landscape, dominated by mountains, farmhouses, and terraced vineyards, tells the story of a demanding but identity-forming viticulture. Geological conditions vary: granite in the North, quartz phyllite in the central part, diorite in Chiusa, and volcanic porphyry formations in the southern area. The climate, with strong temperature fluctuations and low rainfall, ensures fresh and mineral wines.

“We have a very interesting variety of microclimates and grape varieties, distributed over harsh slopes and steep hillsides,” emphasizes Gratl. “The soils are light, poor, with glacial gravel and river sediments, and naturally low yields.”

Furthermore, the Valle Isarco is perhaps the least known territory, not only in terms of wine, in Alto Adige – South Tyrol. A land of passage, a long and narrow valley that one travels along the A22 Brenner motorway to go to Vipiteno or the border. The Bressanone and Chiusa exits are often frequented only by those who want to go to Val Pusteria or Val Gardena.

Adamantis, like the entire Valle Isarco wine line, aims to dispel this vision. Wines that tell of a heterogeneous valley, made of details, sub-zones, grape varieties, and people. A unique terroir of its kind. A valley stretching from North to South through different microclimates and geologies.

“We cultivate 10 white grape varieties and 4 red grape varieties for a total of 950,000 bottles produced per year. Many of our members have little more than one hectare and dedicate extremely high care and attention,” specifies Gratl.

The valley is among the most interesting in Europe for mountain whites, thanks to varieties such as Kerner, Sylvaner, Müller Thurgau, Grüner Veltliner, Gewürztraminer, and Riesling. The lower areas instead host Schiava, Zweigelt, and Pinot Noir. Manual work is predominant: “In our territory, 90% of the work in the vineyard is done by hand. 80% of the vines are not treated with herbicides and the grass is cut manually. In our vineyards, we work about a third more hours compared to other hilly areas of Alto Adige.”

The cooperative, founded in 1961 by 24 families, now has 135 members and 150 hectares of vineyards in 11 municipalities between Bolzano and Bressanone. Led by president Peter Baumgartner and general manager Armin Gratl. In ten years, the cooperative has doubled its turnover, investing over 2 million euros to modernize structures and technologies. Every year it produces 950,000 bottles, for a total of 32 labels, 95% of which are whites. The turnover is 7.8 million euros, with 85% distribution in the Italian Horeca channel and 15% abroad.