Siebeneich 2009

"Settequerce, a suburb of Terlano, where archaeological finds bear witness to the wine-growing activities of the Rhaetians, has warm sites with deep loamy soil, and as such is a predestined production zone for Merlot. The result is a fruity and full-bodied red wine of great finesse."
Rudi Kofler

More vintages available

Wine

  • Doc denomination: Alto Adige
  • Variety: 100% Merlot
  • History of the variety: first vintage 1989
  • Year: 2009
  • Bottles produced: 25,000
  • Yield: 56 hl/ha
  • Quality line: The vineyards

Vinification

  • Description:

    Manual harvest and selection of the grapes; destemming followed by slow must fermentation at a controlled temperature and gentle agitation of the must in stainless steel tanks; malolactic fermentation and aging for 12 months partly in big wooden barrels (70%) and partly in barriques using one third new barrels (30%); blending three months before bottling.

  • Bottling date: 2011-09-27

Production area

  • Name: Siebeneich
  • Municipality: Terlano
  • Altitude: 250 - 300 m a. s. l.
  • Slope: 5 - 20%
  • Orientation: South - Southwest

Wine character

  • Color: brilliant deep ruby red
  • Smell: The primary fruit aromas of dried plum and cranberry combine with the herbal aromas of mint and eucalyptus and a hint of black pepper to create a many-faceted bouquet.
  • Taste: With its sturdy tannin structure and rich fruit aromas, the Merlot can develop to the full on the palate to display great complexity with depth and length.

Simple pairings

Goes well with shoulder of kid braised in olive oil and herbs on asparagus and wild vegetables, beef tagliata on a bed of rocket, rabbit stew or braised leg of lamb with spinach polenta; equally attractive with aubergine alla parmigiana.

  • Vintage

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    • The optimal conditions for the growth of vegetation presaged an extraordinary vintage. After the cool winter rich in precipitation, there followed an extremely mild and warm spring which helped give the vegetation a boost – by April, the quickly sprouting shoots and a premature blossoming already indicated that harvesting could begin early. The summer months, too, were characterized by a dry climate and average temperatures.

  • Soil

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    • At the foot of the mighty rock spur crowned by the ruins of Castle Grifo lies the hamlet of Settequerce (Siebeneich), which forms part of the municipality of Terlano. The name derives from an old shrine comprised of seven oak trees. The soils are composed of loamy porphyry materials with a low limestone content swept down from Monte Tschöggl by the Rio Margherete and Rio Steiner. Thanks to this soil structure and the hot microclimate, the Merlot in particular develops its typical spicy bouquet, and this has led to a certain tradition on this site.

      Soils: sandy-stony, well-drained soils
      Site area: 28 ha
      Vine age: 10-20 years
      Vine density: 4,000-6,500
      Yield: 58 hl/ha
      Number of vintners: 8

  • Climate

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    • The high peaks of the main Alpine chain protect South Tyrol from the Atlantic winds and cold northerlies, while the region benefits from the Mediterranean climate from the south. That explains the pronounced differences between day- and night-time temperatures, which are the key to full maturity and elegant wines.

      To the south, a number of mountain massifs like the Adamello also have a protective function. As a result, annual precipitation is only about one third of the average for the southern Alpine foothills, and the number of hours of sunshine is higher. The climatic conditions are not unlike those to be found in wine-growing areas like the Swiss Canton Valais.

      When the sun rises behind the mountains east of Terlano on one of the year’s 300 sunny days, it is already high in the sky as the wine-growing area has a westerly to south westerly exposure. The lower atmospheric density permits more direct solar irradiation with less diffuse sunlight. That increases the difference between the slopes on the sunny and shady sides of the valley.

      Microclimate in Terlano
      Continental climate (Cfa Köppen-Geiger)

      Annual sunshine hours: ø 2135
      Maximum temperatures: 36,7 °C
      Average temperatures: 12,9 °C
      Minimum temperatures: -10,7°C
      Annual percipitation: ø 558 mm
      Average global radiation: 150,1 W/m²
      Winds:
      - North foehn: cool and dry down-slope wind
      - Ora: valley wind system from the south, bringing in air from the Po Valley

Siebeneich

Prizes

Technical data

  • Alcohol content: 13.5 % vol
  • Residual sugar: 1.8 g/l
  • Acidity: 4.9 g/l

Aging

  • Storage advice: Cool storage at constant temperatures, high level of humidity, good ventilation and as little light as possible
  • Cellar temperature: 10 - 15 °C
  • Minimum maturity: 4 years
  • Serving temperature: 16 - 18 °C

Suggested glass

Bordeaux glass

Bordeaux glass