Today’s article is dedicated to Salísa, the Trentodoc of Villa Corniole, a family-run business in Val di Cembra, whose tasting notes for Cimbro Rosso: two souls in one body are available.
Villa Corniole is located in Val di Cembra, on the border between Trentino and Alto Adige-Südtirol; a valley characterised by steep slopes carved by the Avisio river, where viticulture is possible and sustainable only thanks to more than 700km of dry stone walls. Giovo, the municipality where the winery is located, is the typical emblem of the landscape of the Val di Cembra, with vineyards mainly dedicated to Müller Thurgau, Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay and Pinot Nero.
A curiosity: the name of the company derives from dogwood, a fruit plant with small acidic red berries used mainly for the production of syrups, jams, or in addition to spirits and grappa, cultivated, in the past, in the area where today the cellar is located.
The alpine climate of the Val di Cembra is characterised by moderate hot summers, not excessively humid, and cold winters, even harsh at high altitude. The warm winds coming from Lake Garda and the cold ones coming from the adjacent Dolomite valleys of Fiemme and Fassa guarantee a large diurnal range, which ia a decisive factor for the slow and gradual ripening of the grapes, and for the maintenance of high acidity, a necessary condition for the production of traditional method sparkling wines with ageing potential.
Trentodoc Salísa is the wine dedicated to the three daughters of the owner: Sara, Linda and Sabina. A sparkling wine with an exuberant character, the mirror of a company in which the female component is prevalent, so much so that they are parto of Le Donne del Vino, “a non-profit association that promotes the culture of wine and the role of women in the supply chain production of wine and society as a whole”.
The vineyards for the production of Tentodoc Salísa are located on limestone soils, in the municipality of Giovo, at an altitude between 600 and 800 meters above sea level, with a southern aspect.
The grapes are harvested by hand in the first half of September. Once the still wine is obtained, the liqueur de tirage (a mixture of wine, sugar, selected yeasts and mineral substances) is added to activate the second fermentation in the bottle, with the result being the formation of carbon dioxide (bubbles) and ethyl alcohol.
The bottles remains in the cellars for a period of about two months (away from light and at a constant temperature of 12°C), during which time the yeast begins to multiply inside the bottle, then die and begin the autolysis process (the cellular content of yeast degrades and releases molecules that interact with those of the wine).
Autolysis is essential to characterise the evolution of wine and its sensory range during the period of aging on the lees for at least 30 months for the Brut and over 40 months for the Dosaggio Zero.
Salísa – Trento D.O.C. – Brut – 2017
Chardonnay 100%
- Look: pale lemon, delicate mousse.
- Smell: medium (+) intensity. Floral (jasmine and honeysuckle), fruity (lemon and apple) and really well integrated notes of hazelnut and walnut that compliment the toasted notes, due to the long time on the lees.
- Taste: dry, medium alcohol, high acidity, medium body, medium (+) finish.
- Pairing: salmon tartare with avocado cream and toasted almonds.
Salísa – Trento D.O.C. – Dosaggio Zero – 2017
Chardonnay 100%
- Look: pale lemon, creamy mousse.
- Smell: medium (+) intensity. Floral (jasmine and honeysuckle), fruity (lemon, apple, nectarine) and really well integrated notes of hazelnut and walnut, biscuit, bread and brioche that compliment the toasted notes, due to the long time on the lees.
- Taste: dry, medium alcohol, high acidity, medium body, medium (+) finish.
- Pairing: strangolapreti alla trentina.
Producer: Villa Corniole