Abbazia di Novacella Kerner Alto Adige 2023

Abbazia di Novacella is a winery that sits atop the monastery of Neustift on the southern side of the Alps. It’s the northern most winegrowing region which falls under the Alto Adige AVA, and the wines here are absolutely electric. The cool climate and mineral rich soils plus the extreme elevation makes for some of the most intense and deeply concentrated flavors.

As you can imagine, the ripening period here is long and drawn out, extending well into late October while most of their southern neighbors are long done picking. Here, white wines such as Sylvaner, Kerner, Gewürztraminer and Veltliner are king, and these guys make some of the very best juice around.

I managed a few bottles of Wine Spectator’s #70 Wine of the Year for 2023. It’s the only Italian white that I could even find on the list – a crying shame, but a testament to just how special this one is.