GREAT SUCCESS FOR THE 5TH EDITION OF CORTACCIA ROSSA, THE EVENT DEDICATED TO THE BORDEAUX VARIETIES

Now in its fifth edition, Cortaccia Rossa today represents an authoritative and recognized event on the national scene born from the will of four historic South Tyrolean producers - Peter Dipoli, Christof Tiefenbrunner, Hans Peter Widmann of Baron Widmann and Andreas Kofler , president of the Kurtatsch social winery - of present the wines produced in Cortaccia from the classic Bordeaux vines in blind tastings in front of a jury of international experts. Objective? Show the ability of the Bordeaux blend of this territory to compete with the same types coming from the most renowned wine-growing areas of the world. We are in the south of Alto Adige, in Cortaccia, a small portion of territory where the Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc varieties find the ideal conditions to give life to extremely distinctive wines, characterized by freshness and "alpine" fruit. Never before has the potential of this terroir been made clear as in this fifth edition: the jury of experts, made up of sector journalists, tasters and Masters of Wine from seven different countries (Germany, Switzerland, United States, Japan, South Korea , Canada, Italy), has in fact assigned first places to the host wines in each of the 4 flights compared to other more famous wines in the competition. In the first flight with 90.3, “Iugum” Merlot - Cabernet Sauvignon Alto Adige Doc 2018 by Peter Dipoli ranked first, followed by Château Clinet 2018 Pomerol AOC with 88.6; Camarcanda 2018 Bolgheri Doc by Ca' Marcanda closes with 87.7. The second heat sees an ex aequo between a producer from Cortaccia, Baron Widmann with Auhof Cabernet - Merlot Alto Adige Doc 2018 and Collezione Privata Cabernet Sauvignon Toscana IGT 2018 di Isole e Olena (91.5), followed by Château Brane-Cantenac 2018 Margaux AOC Grand Cru Classé (90.2). The third flight sees the “Freienfeld” Cabernet Sauvignon Riserva Alto Adige Doc 2018 from Cantina Kurtatsch climb to the top step of the podium with 90.6; in second place Opus One 2018 Napa Valley with 90.3 and in third place San Leonardo 2018 Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT with 87.1. The fourth flight goes to “Vigna Toren” Cabernet Sauvignon Riserva Alto Adige DOC 2018 by Tiefenbrunner with 91.9, followed by Château Pichon Longueville Baron 2018 Pauillac Grand Cru Classè AOC with 91.6 and by Sassicaia 2018 Bolgheri Doc Sassicaia by Tenuta San I lead with 89.8. “ We are certainly very proud of the results achieved by our wines in this fifth edition – explains Peter Dipoli – but what we are even more keen to observe is the message behind this extraordinary ranking. The approximately 50 current hectares of Bordeaux varieties present in this area demonstrate to us producers but above all to industry experts that our wines deserve more attention and that they have something important to tell both for the great quality that we find in the glass and for the extraordinary quality-price ratio especially when compared to wines from other renowned territories where Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot are bred ”. A territory that is certainly small in terms of surface area but, as is clear from the ranking, has incredible potential. “ These are varieties – explains Andreas Kofler of the Kurtatsch winery – which grow in the lowest areas, up to a limit of 350 meters above sea level. Many of these vineyards are steeply sloping and generally face east, south, and southeast. Over time we have found that Merlot vines respond well to the red clay soils found in the north of the country, while the sandy soils with the presence of limestone skeleton are the ideal base for Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc”. “ It should be noted – Peter Dipoli also explains – that it was only in the last forty years, during which the fundamental qualitative turning point in South Tyrolean wine production took place, that the true qualitative potential of these noble, capable vines emerged. "Varieties, therefore, are the Bordeaux varieties of this portion of the South Tyrolean territory which we will hear a lot about and for which an increase is expected in the near future: " Between Cortaccia and the southernmost localities of Magré and Niclara - explains Kofler - we have a potential of almost 100 hectares of vineyards suitable for the cultivation of these vines. Currently only half of this surface area is actually cultivated with Bordeaux varieties but thanks to the notable results obtained and the availability of viticultural surface area, we predict that in the next ten years we will see an increase in this surface area in favor of these varieties".