Rare Wines. Two northerns face to face, Etna and Alto Adige measured to a sharp point

Oct 5 2022, 14:42 | by Gambero Rosso
There are just 1,500 kilometres between the two wines we have put together in this episode. Yet in the glass they are not so distant. On the one hand, the refinement of Federico Curtaz's Etna Bianco Kudos, a Northerner of the South; on the other, Nals Margrid's Alto Adige Nama, an alpine white with a sunny soul

A north-south short circuit in the name of refinement and elegance. We offer you two whites that in common have refined and sinuous features, capable of unhinging only certainty in the glass. Alto Adige Nama by Nals Malgreid is a white designed to raise the bar, a Super White produced by one of the most virtuous cooperatives in Italy. Proposed 4 years after the harvest, it is a successful blend of chardonnay, pinot bianco and sauvignon from the Margè and Nalles hills. The climate is alpine, which can be perceived in the glass, but there is no lack of a more mature and sunny character, also thanks to the mood of the 2018 vintage.

As far as the other, we travel by car for 15 hours to the Strait of Messina, including a ferry ride to reach Milo, on the north-east side of Mt Etna. This is home of some of the greatest whites of Italy. We are in Sicily, Africa is not that far away, yet in the glass we have a wine with a Nordic soul, thanks to the elevation, over 700 metres above sea level, and an excellent interpreter like Federico Curtaz. His Etna Superiore Kudos is a white of note.

Etna Bianco Sup. Kudos 2019

Curtaz
Sicily
white
Score: 
97
/100
VINEYARD | A garden of very old carricante alberello plants, between dry stone walls and old stone houses in Milo, on the north-east side of Etna, at about 750 metres above sea level. The Contrada is called Rinazzo, a natural terrace with a great view of the Ionian Sea, the plants sink into a thick layer of dark ash and volcanic sands. The vineyard, about one hectare, is the result of a gradual passage of inheritance and experiences, starting with great-grandfather Santo di Maio who left for Argentina in the 19th century and then returned to Milo, hence the passion of his son Alfio (to whom he dedicated Affiu wine) in caring for these intertwined alberello vines. The viticultural heritage...
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A. A. Bianco Cuvée Nama 2018

Nals Margreid
Alto Adige
white
Score: 
95
/100
VINEYARD | The Alps are there at your fingertips. Nama is a blend of selected grapes with the best exposures. The chardonnay (90%) comes from Magrè in the Bassa Atesina, from vineyards facing south-east that grow on a deep layer of limestone, between 230 and 350 metres above sea level. Pinot bianco (7%) and Sauvignon (3%) instead come from Nalles, with an eastern exposure between 550 and 700 metres above sea level, on soils rich in porphyry. All the grapes ferment and mature in oak barrels for 18 months, and then age 9 months in steel and a further year of ageing in the bottle to find the right balance. The first vintage produced by Nama was 2016. PERSON |...
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