Tiefenbrunner Merus Sauvignon Blanc

Merus Sauvignon Blanc Alto Adige DOC bottle image

Wine Description

This handcrafted Sauvignon Blanc comes from two separate areas—at different altitudes and with different soils—each making their own contribution to the final wine.  The chalky, glacial soils in Kurtatsch provide structure and minerality while the sandy, loam soils of Völser Aicha allow for development of the classic floral and herbal qualities.  A portion (30%) of the wine is matured in large oak casks on the fine lees for six months to add complexity, while a multi vessel approach (steel, wood, and cement) to aging adds roundness and balance.

Tiefenbrunner Castel Turmhof
Christof Tiefenbrunner, Owner
Tiefenbrunner Vineyard
Tiefenbrunner Cellar
Tiefenbrunner, Castle Park
Tiefenbrunner Vineyard
Tiefenbrunner Family, Grandma Hilde, Anna, Johannes, Sabine and Christof
Tiefenbrunner Historic Cellar
Tiefenbrunner Family
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Acclaim
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Vineyard & Production Info
Production area/appellation:
Alto Adige DOC
Vineyard size
5 acres
Soil composition
Calcareous, Silt, Sand, and Gravel
Training method
Guyot
Elevation:
1,312-2,296 feet
Vines/acre:
2,420-2830
Yield/acre:
3.2 tons
Exposure:
Southeastern / Southern / Southwestern
Year vineyard planted:
1992 and later
Harvest time:
Mid of September to beginning of October
First vintage of this wine:
1988
Bottles produced of this wine:
17,000
Average Vine Age:
15
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Winemaking & Aging
Prefermentation Technique:
Cold maceration
Time on its skins:
6 hours
Maceration length:
6 hours
Varietal composition:
100% Sauvignon Blanc
Fermentation container:
Stainless steel tanks
Length of alcoholic fermentation:
10-15 days
Fermentation temperature:
65-68 °F
Maceration technique:
Extended Skin Contact
Fining agent:
Vegan
Type of aging container:
Barrels and Stainless steel tanks
Size of aging container:
15 to 75 hl
Type of oak:
French
Length of aging before bottling:
6 months
Length of bottle aging:
1 month
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Analytical Data
Acidity:
6.1 g/L
Alcohol:
13.5 %
Residual sugar:
1.5 g/L
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Wine Production

After six to eight hours maceration on the skins, there follows fermentation in steel tanks at a temperature of 68 °F. Thereafter 50 % of the wine is aged for six months in large oak casks on the first lees, with regular stirring. The other 50 % is fermented for the same period in stainless steel tanks and matured on the fine lees.