The Wine
First, the grape - it's an obscure varietal that finds its best expression in cool growing regions. Pronounced like ski-AH-va, this particular bottling is called 'Phyllit' because it's grown in a soil type called Gneiss (neess or nehss) - a metamorphic soil type, for those with geological interests. The vineyard is home to vines planted 60-70 years ago and is located at ~1,200 feet above sea level. Together, all these vineyard factors yield a low-alcohol wine (11.5%) wrought with verve and vivacity and freshness.
Though it's the perfect picnic wine, it would be a shame to relegate it soleley to such outdoor occasions - serve it year-round with fish, salads with pomegranate seeds and/or dried cranberries or blueberries and with chicken prepared in any way possible.
Serve just slightly chilled - about 30-40 minutes in the refrigerator or 5-7 minutes in a bath of ice and water (50/50). This elegant and long-lived wine will be a total game-changer for the Schiava varietal and its ability to express the nuances of its vineyard. Very limited quantities.
Drink now through 2027.
The Winery
Of all the world's growers of / advocates for Schiava, there is one whose advocacy is head-and-shoulders above the rest - Hartmann Donà. He's a very serious-looking man whose fascination for (and dedication to) Schiava borders on insanity.
Last year Hartmann Donà released three single-vineyard Schiavas grown on different soil types (with each soil type depicted on each of the three wine labels). Rarely has there been so much to get excited about when it comes to the unique reds from Northern Italy's cool Alto Adige region! Vinified in pretty much the same way yet stylistically different, each is a crystal-clear expressions of Alto Adige’s complex terroirs.
Located at the Northern tip of Italy, near the Austrian border, both the red and white wines from this cool-climate region feature a fresh profile with layers of complexity and intrigue.
