Vino Santo Arèle is a delicious and renowned regional dessert wine produced from naturally raisined grapes. Although often associated with Tuscany, Vino Santo also boasts a long tradition in Trentino, where production started over 200 years ago.
Production
Produced from Nosiola grapes cultivated in vineyards situated between mountains at the foot of the Dolomites and connecting Trento to the northern shores of Lake Garda. Lake Garda strongly influences the climate, blowing constant warm, dry winds down the valley, whilst at night the temperatures are cooled by the breeze blowing down from the Dolomites. The resulting climate is sub-Mediterranean. Soils are mainly limestone. The well ripened grapes are harvested in October. After the late October harvest the grapes are dried for about six months on cane racks (called arele) in well-ventilated rooms; during this period they are enriched by the presence of Botrytis Cinerea (noble rot). Pressing takes place in spring (around Easter - hence the name Vino Santo) and is followed by a long fermentation and an eight year maturation period in small oak barrels.
Arèle Vino Santo (50cl) 2005 (6 bottles case)
Vivino ratings
Tasting notes
It is an extraordinarily intense and unctuous Vino di Meditazione with a deep golden copper colour, super-ripe aromas of dried apricots, figs and dates. Opulent and concentrated on the palate with amazingly intense flavours of raisins, apricots, honey and walnuts. The velvety, round, fruit characters coat the mouth leading to a very long and extraordinarily complex finish with refreshing acidity and surprising elegance.
Food match
Superb with fine tarts made with buttery pastry and fresh fruit, or with your favourite blue cheese. The traditional match for Vino Santo is with almond Cantucci.
Info
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ABV
12.5%
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CASE/BOTTLE SIZE
6 x 50cl
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REGION/COUNTRY
TRENTINO, ITALY
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GRAPE
NOSIOLA 100%
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FEATURES
VEGETARIAN, VEGAN, SWEET
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CLOSURE
CORK
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WINEMAKER
ANSELMO MARTINI
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APPELLATION
VINO SANTO TRENTINO DOC
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ALLERGEN INFO
CONTAINS SULPHITES AND NO OTHER ALLERGENS
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Meet the producer
Cavit is a leading co-operative in the mountainous Trentino region of northeast Italy. The winery began as a consortium of associated grape growers in 1950, with a dedicated winery at Ravina di Trento built in 1964. Today It unites 11 separate cellars and their combined 5,300 grape growers across 6,200 hectares of vineyard, to produce an impressively broad portfolio from an intriguing palette of indigenous and international grape varieties. Trentino has a much higher proportion of wines produced as DOC than any other region in Italy - an average of 80% of the region's wines have a DOC classification, compared to around 30% elsewhere in the country. Remarkably, Cavit accounts for 60% of this region's wine production and they advise and supervise all aspects of this production from the vineyard to the bottle. Their site at Maso Toresella on the shores of Lake Toblino was the historic residence of the Prince Bishops of Trento, surrounded by 6.5 hectares of vineyard. It is one of the most significant 'masi' (rural estates) in the whole of Trentino. They have worked with the San Michele all’Adige Oenological Institute, since 1988, to develop wines of the highest quality. In 1993 Cantina Altemasi was established, also at Ravina, not far from the region's capital of Trento - for the production and maturation of Classic Trentodoc and Charmat Method sparkling wines. Trento Doc was the first Classical Method sparkling wine DOC to be established anywhere in the world after Champagne, and the first in Italy.