Amos Cuvée White – 2021

Amos Cuvée Weiß from Cantina Kurtatsch matures in large wooden barrels

The Amos Cuvée Weiß from Cantina Kurtatsch is a dry mountain wine made from five white grape varieties, grown in the high altitudes above Kurtatsch. It is neither a light summer wine nor a single-varietal Chardonnay, but rather a cuvée with a long maturation period in wood.

The Amos Cuvée Weiß from Cantina Kurtatsch is a dry white wine cuvée from South Tyrol, blended in this vintage from Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Kerner, and Sauvignon. The Kerner contributes a cool edge that distinguishes the wine from warmer cuvées. 13.5 percent alcohol provides a structure that will still hold up even after years in the cellar.

White peach, apricot, and lemon zest

Straw yellow with a greenish rim, the Amos sits in the glass, and the first impression is not one of fruit, but of composure. Even in appearance, the wine seems more mature than its vintage would suggest.

Then come white peach, followed by apricot, blossoms, and a touch of lemon zest that ties it all together. On the palate, the wine is creamy without becoming heavy, as the altitude of the vineyard maintains the tension. The finish is long and saline.

This mixture of fullness and drive is the true feat of a cuvée. None of the five varieties pushes to the forefront, yet with the second sip, you notice that more than one grape has been at work here.

Veal roast, risotto, and aged mountain cheese

A risotto with porcini mushrooms finds its counterpart in this wine, as both share the same creamy texture. The butter and Parmesan in the rice find their match in the glass, without it becoming a heavy affair.

Veal roast, pan-seared char, a plate of vitello tonnato, and aged mountain cheese pair just as well. Serve the Amos in a large glass at 12 degrees Celsius, because if you pour it ice-cold, you sacrifice half of its aromas.

For something more aromatic, try the aromatic Gewürztraminer, and those who prefer red wine will find it in the Pinot Noir (Blauburgunder) from the same cellar.

Fifteen months on the fine lees

After fermentation in stainless steel and blending, the Amos spends 15 months in large oak barrels, together with its fine lees. These are old, large barrels in which the wood has long since become neutral.

This yeast continues to work, imparting texture while simultaneously protecting the wine from oxygen. The large barrel does not impart a woody taste, but only allows for slow air exchange through the staves. That is why the Amos tastes like wine, not like the barrel.

Cellar master Erwin Carli decides anew year after year which proportions the varieties should take. The previous vintage scored 93 points at the Decanter World Wine Awards, and Falstaff awarded it the same.

A white wine that ages well

The 2021 has passed its first phase of maturation and now shows that side which young white wines simply cannot have.

Its best moment is five to eight years after the harvest, and an opened bottle easily lasts from lunch until evening. Everything else that comes from the village of Kurtatsch can be found in the Cantina Kurtatsch range. Mountain wine in the best sense.

Origin, values, and awards

• Origin Wine from Italy
• Region South Tyrol - Alto Adige DOC
• Grape varieties Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Kerner, Sauvignon
• 13.5% vol. alcohol
• 6.3 g/l acidity
• 2.4 g/l residual sugar
• Awards 2021: 93 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 92 points Wine Spectator, 92 points Falstaff, 92 points James Suckling, 91 points Vinum, Gault & Millau outstanding in its category