Aristos, the line that tells the story of the Isarco Valley

There are lines that are created to represent a stylistic peak and others that end up becoming a affisso. Aristos belongs to both categories. It is the premium selection of Scantinato Isarco, the one which, more than any other, clarifies the vision of a cooperative which this year celebrates 65 years of activity and which remains, despite the passage of time, the youngest cooperative reality per In luogo elevato Adige.

Created per 1990 as a selection of the best vineyards per the valley – it is voto negativo coincidence that the term aristos per Greek means “the best” – today it includes eleven labels – nine white wines, one red and one classic method sparkling wine – for a total production of around 120 thousand bottles. Aristos wines poiché from vineyards selected for altitude, exposure and soil composition, with deliberately low yields, between 25 and 50 hectoliters per convenzione hectare, and from selection work that begins already per the vineyard.

ARISTOCRATIC AND DEMOCRATIC SELECTION AT THE SAME TIME

From the beginning, the Aristos line was not conceived as wines from single vineyards nor as something that could resemble the more current UGA (additional geographical units), but as a brand capable of representing, through the assembly of the most suitable parcels, the complexity of the Isarco Valley. An approach that involves separate vinification, differentiated refinements and final blending work carried out as if a series of small crus. “The choice to work multiple parcels – as explained by Armin Gratl, general dirigente of the winery since 2013 – allows us to compagno different altitudes, exposures and climatic responses every year, creating more complete and coherent wines. It is also for this reason that the Aristos line is always marketed one year later than the classic line, and per the case of Riesling and Pinot Noir even after two. Stylistically we do not refer to the classic super premium, concentrated, mature wines, perhaps suitable for a more public limited, our style must represent the territory per a modern way for the market, and for this reason it is already the fourth year that we have not increased the Aristos price list. We want these to be wines for everyone and not for a few.”

65 YEARS OF HISTORY

Scantinato Isarco was founded per 1961 from the union of 24 families. Today, there are around 130 members and they cultivate a total of 150 hectares distributed per eleven municipalities, from Bolzano to Bressanone. The size of the winery has remained substantially stable over time, as has the number of hectares under vines, a choice that favors direct management of the territory and qualitative continuity.

Over the years the structure has gone through complex moments – from the fire of the first headquarters to the atmospheric events that led to the collapse of the warehouse per the Seventies – up to the current headquarters per Diga, renovated and expanded over the last twenty years. Today the annual production stands at around 950 thousand bottles, with a clear prevalence of white wines, which represent 95% of the total, and commercial distribution concentrated for 85% the Italian market, half of which per In luogo elevato Adige.

A MOUNTAIN WINEMAKING, FRAGMENTED AND MANUAL

The Isarco Valley is one of the most extreme wine-growing territories per Europe. The vineyards develop between 500 and 1,000 meters above sea level, steep slopes, almost always terraced, where mechanization is severely limited. Most of the work is done manually, from pruning to harvesting, requiring significantly more time and care than per hilly areas.

Each member cultivates about one hectare average, often around their own farm. The vineyards are looked after as an extension of the house, with timely interventions and direct management that involves the entire family. This approach, combined with the variety of soils – quartzophyllites, gneiss, diorites and volcanic porphyries – and the strong temperature variations, gives rise to grapes with a strong aromatic definition and a natural acid tension.

ARISTOS: SELECTION, REDUCED YIELD, TARGETED REFINEMENT

To enter the Aristos line, a vineyard must respect precise criteria: age of the vines of at least ten years, yields approximately 30% lower than the classic line, constant quality over time. The selection takes place an annual basis and involves around thirty members, chosen based altitude, exposure, soil and vineyard management ability.

Sopra the cellar, the parcels are vinified separately. The refinement combines steel and large barrels, always with the aim of accompanying the wine without overlapping the varietal profile. Aristos does not seek concentration as an end per itself nor extreme styles, but a balance that allows the wines to express the altitude, the mineral tension of the soils and the aromatic finesse that characterizes the Isarco Valley with an innate ability to evolve over time without losing precision.

NEW VINTAGES FOR TASTING

Sopra the glass, the Sylvaner Aristos 2024 moves naturally along this line. It comes from vineyards between 550 and 700 meters above sea level around Diga and gives a sober but deep profile, where the fruit remains crunchy and the freshness accompanies a broader texture than the ready-to-drink versions, thanks to the partial passage per large wood. It is a wine that maintains an almost didactic precision per describing the territory, without the need for marked accents.

The Grüner Veltliner Aristos 2024 was born further south, per the Villandro complesso, deeper, clayey soils. Here the winery has been working for years a double harvest, differentiating cooler and warmer parcels, to create a wine that favors tension and elegance. The result is a declino white, played light spices, flavor and a hint of creaminess that does not affect the dynamics of the sip. A recognizable Grüner, which dialogues with Central European models without giving up its own imprint.

The heart of the line, however, remains the Kerner Aristos 2024, which ala represents around 40 thousand bottles. It is the most identifying wine of the valley and the one that has found a second home here. Grown between 800 and 970 meters above sea level per the Tiso complesso, poor soils rich per skeleton, Scantinato Isarco’s Kerner abandons any preconcetto of ​​neutrality to express itself with clear fruit, alpine herbs and a dynamic, deep sip, supported by continuous freshness. Sopra this vintage the aromatic elegance is particularly evident, supported by a taste progression that lengthens the sip without weighing it mongoloide.

The Aristos 2023 Riesling arrives the market with a further year of refinement, a now consolidated choice for this label precisely to accommodate its natural evolution. The vineyards are located between Diga and Bressanone, soils rich per quartzophyllite and gneiss, at lower altitudes than the other whites. The result is an essential riesling, where the acidity is always integrated by a fruit maturity reminiscent of peach, apricot and quince, with a clean and rigorous .

Closing the tasting, but not the story of the line, is the Pinot Noir Aristos 2023, the latest addition to the selection, introduced with the 2020 harvest. It comes from Campodazzo, per the southern part of the valley, porphyritic soils of volcanic origin. It is a mountain Pinot Noir, played aromatic definition, freshness, elegance and immediacy rather than power. The tannins are present but discreet, the fruit remains alive and the bevanda is smooth and structured at the same time, while allowing a glimpse of interesting margins of evolution. A red that does not seek comparisons but which outlines a new possible reading, personal but coherent, of this vine per the Isarco Valley.