If we were to ask any good wine buff what they were looking for in a Cabernet Sauvignon wine, it's unlikely their imagination would take them to the Alto Adige, in spite of the fact that the varietal has been cultivated in that area for over a century. What's very likely, is that after having tasted this Girlan Cabernet Sauvignon, we'll be left with an unforgettable memory of this great wine.
Its grapes come in part from the cool Cornaiano slopes, located at an altitude ranging around 500 metres above sea level and with mineral-rich soils. The rest originate from Bassa Atesina, a sandy area with a warmer climate and deep soils. The combined merits of both these terroirs give rise to the very special character of the Girlan Cabernet Sauvignon Riserva Doss.
Including the actual harvest, all the work involved in producing this wine is thought out in such a way as to show maximum respect to the grape's natural elegance. The grapes are harvested by hand and placed into small crates to avoid too much pressure on the fruit, and its ageing of 18 months is undergone in both barrels and large wooden vats which better respect the fruit's primary nature. After a repose of almost half a year in bottle, it reaches our glasses appearing an elegant Picota cherry colour that seems to indicate its intensity, but also the reddish hues on the rim which denote a freshness unexpected in other Cabernets, but quite logical bearing in mind its provenance. Its nose is intensely balsamic and finely alcoholic; the freshness of Morello cherries combines with the spicy notes of mild pepper in an aromatic blend capable of enchanting everyone. In the background, orangery wafts appear, those orange peel hints so common in the best Montsant wines. Its tannins, initially intense, meld in after a couple of minutes in the glass, leaving behind an agreeable rugged touch that brings to mind powdered cocoa. The acidity comes to the fore as time passes and some restrained suggestions of bitterness enhance a memorable finish.
Drinking and storing
Serve between 14ºC and 16ºC
Food pairing
Game / Meats cooked on hot stone / Blue cheeses
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The winery
Girlan
The Girlan winery was founded in 1923, in a historic Cinquecento building in the town of Girlan / Cornaiano, within the municipality of Appiano. 23 vine growers started up this cooperative winery, exemplifying not only the strength of the union, but also giving the opportunity to attain excellence through this strategy. Nowadays, the winery can count on 200 members whose lands are on average 1 hectare in size, some of which lie in parcels held in the highest regard in the Alto...
