De Vescovi Ulzbach - 'Rosso Ulzbach' - Teroldego - Trentino-Alto Adige, IT - 2021

TEROLDEGO 'ROSSO ULZBACH'

Made entirely of the Teroldego grape grown in the Piano Rotaliano area near Trento, this is a fresh, charming version of this distinctive variety. The winemaking is complicated but the result is immediately appealing and great for everyday drinking, berryish and open.
All the fruit is produced in the Rauti vineyard, from vines that are trained in the traditional ‘pergola trentina,’ planted in alluvial soil that consists of sand and silt mixed with pebbles and stones. The grapes are organically grown and harvested at the end of September. The fruit is all de-stemmed and partly crushed; part of the must is then macerated at a warm temperature (26-28 degrees Celsius) for 3-5 days in wooden vessels, drained off, and finishes fermentation in unlined cement tanks, followed by natural malolactic fermentation. Selected yeasts are used in both cases. The rest of the must is macerated at a low temperature (4-6 degrees Celsius) in the press, then pressed off and fermented in stainless steel, with malolactic fermentation blocked. (This last is very unusual, the great majority of red wines undergo the second fermentation.)

The result is more straightforward than the process: a deeply colored wine that is fruity, somewhat herbal, lush, silky on the palate and dangerously easy to drink. Very useful red wine, drink it with hamburgers, all sorts of red meat, or of course roast chicken.

Teroldego is a high-quality red grape variety native to the region of Trentino, in north central Italy. It is related to Syrah, Lagrein, and Pinot Noir. ‘The recognized, historic grand cru for Teroldego is the Campo Rotaliano, a sandy-gravelly plain born of the alluvial deposits of the Noce stream and the Adige River, found between San Michele all’Adige, Mezzocorona, and Mezzolombardo at about 230 meters above sea level…the Campo Rotaliano is one of the very few documented grand crus related to a specific grape variety in all of Italy…’* At its best, wine made from Teroldego is deeply colored, vibrantly aromatic, meaty, bright, berryish, and sometimes reminiscent of Cabernet Franc, which is a very good thing.
Our Teroldego is from De Vescovi Ulzbach, a historic producer, certified organic, with more than seven hectares of vineyards in the heart of the Campo Rotaliano, at about 220 meters (725 feet) above sea level. The de Vescovi family has been established in this area since the late 1600s, has owned the estate and made wine here since about 1700, and first bottled under their own label in 2003. The average age of the vines is high; some of the older vines, which date back as far as 1930, are still trained to the traditional ‘pergola trentina,’ and are being gradually changed over to the more modern, quality-oriented Guyot system, in order to achieve the ideal balance between vegetative vigor and fruit quality.
The soil is of alluvial origin, with silt, gravel, and pebbles.