The melon fruit is so ripe that it’s hard to believe they didn’t have help from the Japanese with this! Juicy and generous, in spite of just 13% alcohol (moderate in this context), the acidity entirely subliminal, but driving the long, very clean finish.\n Producer Information\n Abbazia di Novacella (Kloster Neustift in German) is an historic producer in the northern Italian region of Trentino-Alto Adige. The portfolio is made up of a wide range of whites and reds and dessert wines made from Germanic and Italian varieties. These include Riesling, Pinot Grigio, Kerner, Grüner Veltliner, Müller-Thurgau and Schiava. All are well suited to the cooler conditions of northern Italy. Two dessert wines are produced from Moscato Rosa and Kerner. The Classic Line are designed to be approachable when young. The deluxe Praepositus range is intended to be more ageworthy, and is produced from the most favored vineyard sites. The winery (Stiftskeller) is centred around an old monastic building which suffered considerable fire damage in 1190 and underwent a rebuild sometime between 1198 and 1218. The winery is as old as the monastery itself, with records dating it back to 1142 making it one of the world's oldest still-operating wineries. It has always been propserous, with the lands and vineyards intially given to the property by Reginbert of Säben. The monastery was formally handed ownership of the vineyards in 1177 by Pope Alexander III. Many local grape growers still turn their fruit over to the monastery to be made into wine. The winery's vineyards sit at altitudes between 260-900 metres (850-2950 feet). 70 percent of all vineyards are given over to white wine production. The winery practises sustainable viticulture and has been carbon neutral since 1992. The wines are prided for their good quality and ability to age and consist of two main lines.
