Istituto Agrario di San Michele All' Adige

San Michele All' Adige, Trentino
www.ismaa.it

Vineyard area: 100 ha
Soil: chalk, loam

When I shopped for a wine from Puglia at the Italian wine store Vino in Manhattan I asked the sales person if he had any Riesling. That was more or less for fun, I didn't really expect to find any Riesling in an Italian wine shop. I was almost in shock when he walked across the store and pulled a bottle of Riesling off the elegant-looking wooden shelf. And I am not talking about Welschriesling here. It was indeed 100% pure, real Riesling from the Trentino DOC.

The Istituto Agrario di San Michele All' Adige was founded in 1874 and is one of Italy's leading viticultural research centre. It is built around an old monastery, which is pictured on the institute's wine labels. The 100 ha of farmland are planted with grapevines and apple trees. The work on the farm is done in accordance with the idea of sustainable agriculture, which means as little environmental impact as possible. The institute runs both a winery and distillery.

In regard to the wine itself, I didn't get much of the fruit that the sales person at Vino said was the wine's most remarkable feature. Instead I found the wine to be very crisp and clearly on the mineral side.

Riesling Trentino 2006

Pale straw color. Youthful nose with a medium intensity of minerality, citrus fruit and yeast, turning into a distinct smokiness as the wine warmed up in the glass. Dry, medium to high acidity. Medium alcohol. Medium to light body. The palate is very chalky, crystal clear flavors of minerality, almost like a fine Chablis. Citrus fruit and hints of green pear and a whiff of white pepper towards the finish. Fairly long length.

An exciting find. Subtle, yet complex. The long lees contact definitely shows in this wine, adding complexity to its mineral character. I was particularly intrigued by its smokiness, which is quite obvious on the nose and again shines through on the palate towards the end.