Day 4 – the last day – of our Northen Italy wine trip.
Andrea is again our Pagus Tours guide and we leave Verona and drive north of Lake Garda into the Dolomites and the land of Teroldego.
A large lorry burned to a shell on the southbound carriageway of the motorway has left mile upon mile of stuck vehicles with their drivers strolling and chatting on the road. Further north traffic is being diverted off the closed motorway.
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| Winery & Tasting room. The large cellar is out of view to the right |
After two hours we call at Bellaveder. The name means ‘beautiful view’ and the view really is here: high-up and surrounded by vineyards and white mountains
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| Our Bellaveder guide standing on the grassed cellar roof |
Bellaveder was bought in the fifties by Dr Mario Seppi with three hectares of vineyard now extended to eight hectares around the winery plus another four in the San Lorenz vineyard. Eight grape varieties are grown for 17 labels (red: Teroldego, Pinot Noir, Lagrein. White: Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay, Sauvignon blanc, Pinot blanc, Muller Thurgau.) Vineyards are organic; treated only with copper and sulphite but cultivated yeasts are used in winemaking.
They produce 22K bottles of method traditional Riserva sparkling wine and 80K bottles of still wine.
Steel tanks are used for white wines, though 25% of white destined for sparkling wine spends 6 months in barrel.
Dr Seppi’s son-in-law, Tranquillo Luchetta, built an underground cellar next to the farm in the 2000s. Since 2006 the winery has been run by Luca Gasperinatti.
After a tour of the cellars, we tasted
Bellaveder ‘Blanc de Blanc’ Brut Nature Riserva 2015, Trento DOC 12.5% abv
This was 100% Chardonnay. It had spent 36 months on lees and was very dry, austere and acidic
Bellaveder ‘San Lorenz’ Muller Thürgau 2018 Trentino DOC 12.5%abv
Lovely crisp and dry, a touch floral.
Bellaveder Gewürztraminer 2018 Trentino DOC 14.5%abv
They stopped fermentation, leaving 6gL RS. It didn’t have the overt perfume and tastes I usually get from GW. It tasted dry with some lychee aromas.
Bellaveder Faedi Pinot Nero Riserva 2016 Trentino DOC 13.% abv 100% Pinot Noir , fermented in 600 litre open top wooden tanks, with malo and aging in barriques roughly a third new, 2nd & 3rd fill for 12 months then another 10 months in bottle.
Light bodied with distinct strawberry scent, pleasant drinking. (Chosen by Malcolm instead of the Teroldego we were intended to have.)
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| La Cacciatore |
Lunch was at nearby La Cacciatore restaurant, which had stunning views and huge portions. Plus white and Teroldego wine, which is what I had.
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| View from La Cacciatore table |
In the afternoon we visited Cantina Martinelli winery which has been owned and run by the Martinelli family since 1860. Our guide was Victoria Walls, a Canadian who had married Andrea Martinelli the winemaker.
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| Victoria Walls |
Victoria led us through the old cellars and described how they’d cleaned the muck and mould of ages and found enough historic implements for a museum.
Martinelli have two hectares of red Teroldego and Lagrein and one of white Chardonnay grapes.
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| Tasting in cellar |
We tasted:
Martinelli Chardonnay 2018 DOC Trentino 12.5% abv
This was blended with a third each in wood, ceramic and stainless steel.
Martinelli Teroldego ‘Single Barrel’ 2017 DOC Rotaliano 12.5% abv
Martinelli Teroldego ‘Classic’ 2015 DOC Rotaliano 13.5% abv
Aged 18 months in wood and 4 months in bottle.
Martinelli Lagrein ‘Superiore’ 2015 DOC Trentino 12.5% abv
This is from a vineyard that gets the most sun and water. Aged i new barrels for two years and only 1000 bottles made.
Martinelli Teroldego ‘Maso Chini’ 2015 DOC Rotaliano 13.5% abv. ‘Maso Chini’ is a special selection from the best clones and vineyard, hand sorted and fermented in oak vats before aging for 20 months in new oak barrels. After bottling the wine ages a further year.
All the wines were excellent. I loved the red, but it was the Maso Chini is bought, stuck in my suitcase and brought back home.
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| Leaving Martinella |
Our coach driver avoided the motorway, returning through villages and through countryside, which didn'y take very much longer and gave better views.
Thus ended our winery visits.
