Storia
Foundation in 1993
Cavit inaugurated Cantina Altemasi in 1993 at its Ravina di Trento complex. Conceived as a technologically advanced and highly functional sparkling-wine facility, it became the centre of Cavit's sparkling-wine production and the home of Altemasi Trentodoc. The winery was organized vertically across four levels: the lowest basement for the maturation of Trentodoc bottles; the floor above for remuage and disgorgement; an adjoining area for Charmat-method pressure tanks; and the ground floor for bottling and packaging.
Development of the Altemasi identity
Altemasi established its identity around high-altitude Trentino viticulture, Chardonnay and Pinot Nero, extended lees maturation and the Classic Method. Paolo Turra, identified as the winery's historic winemaker, shaped the wines' Trentino character and worked to maintain a house style based on structure, richness, balance and elegance. More recent materials attribute stylistic continuity collectively to the Cantina Altemasi oenology team.
The range developed to encompass Brut Millesimato, Rosé, Blanc de Noirs, Rosé Riserva, Pas Dosé, Gran Cuvée and Riserva Graal. Its principal market positioning is within premium hospitality and specialist wine retail.
Renovation and expansion
During the 2023–2024 financial year, renovation of the existing winery began and was partly completed. The work included replacement of the roof insulation to improve energy performance, construction of a fixed cover over the internal garden to create a multipurpose space, and installation of a new packaging line intended to increase production capacity.
Design work was also completed for an expansion of the sparkling-wine facility, with construction scheduled to begin in the first half of 2025. The project was designed to increase production and storage capacity while improving the logistical and energy efficiency of the production cycle. By 2026, the enlargement was described as a major ongoing project reinforcing the winery's specialization in sparkling-wine production.
Terroir
Cantina Altemasi draws Chardonnay and Pinot Nero from high-altitude Trentino vineyards selected for sparkling-wine production. The principal named areas are the hills around Trento, Valle dei Laghi, Valle di Cembra and the Altopiano di Brentonico. Depending on the selection, vineyards extend approximately from 450 to 700 metres above sea level; important reserve sites are concentrated around 500–600 metres.
Altitude and pronounced day–night temperature variation help the grapes retain significant acidity while developing the aromatic intensity needed for prolonged maturation on the lees. The growing areas encompass distinct landforms and soil origins: calcareous alluvial fans on the hills around Trento; well-drained marl in Valle dei Laghi; steep, gravelly fluvio-glacial deposits in Valle di Cembra; and basalt-rich volcanic soils on the Altopiano di Brentonico. Other reserve parcels are described as having loose, generally shallow glacial and volcanic soils. Across the broader high-altitude Trentodoc vineyards, calcareous and siliceous soils and varied mountain microclimates contribute freshness, elegance and complexity.
Some Pinot Nero and Chardonnay vineyards on the hills around Trento and the Altopiano di Brentonico have southern or south-western exposure. The diversity of elevations, exposures, geological origins and mountain microclimates allows the oenology team to assemble cuvées from complementary sites rather than relying on a single contiguous estate.
Vinificazione
The grapes for Altemasi Trentodoc are grown in selected high-altitude Trentino vineyards and harvested by hand. Chardonnay and Pinot Nero are the defining varieties. Current vineyard descriptions identify both the traditional Trentino pergola and Guyot as training systems.
The broader Cavit grower network operates under certified integrated production: all member growers have obtained SQNPI certification. Vineyard management is supported by soil mapping, geo-climatic analysis and the PICA precision-viticulture platform. PICA combines mapped information on geology, soil, solar radiation, altitude and exposure with real-time monitoring of humidity, temperature, temperature changes and weather events. This information supports plot-specific variety selection, vineyard checks, ripening assessment, harvest timing, targeted plant-protection measures, pathogen management and optimized water use.
Promoted practices include green manure, preservation of dry-stone walls and insect mating disruption to protect soil health, biodiversity and the Trentino landscape. These measures form part of Cavit's long-standing participation in the Protocol for Quality Wine Production in Trentino.
All of Cavit's Trentodoc Classic Method production takes place at Cantina Altemasi. The established four-level layout assigns the deepest basement to bottle maturation, the next level to remuage and disgorgement, adjoining space to Charmat-method pressure tanks, and the ground floor to bottling and packaging.
Base wine
Chardonnay and Pinot Nero are harvested by hand and gently pressed to preserve their characteristic aromas. The must undergoes its first fermentation at controlled temperature. Stainless steel is used for temperature-controlled vinification; selected Altemasi base wines may also involve barriques.
Tirage and second fermentation
In the spring following the harvest, the base wine is bottled with liqueur de tirage, a mixture of yeasts and sugars that initiates secondary fermentation. The bottles are sealed with crown caps and laid down in the cellar. Carbon dioxide generated during the bottle fermentation creates the perlage.
Lees maturation
After secondary fermentation, the wines remain in bottle on their lees. Trentodoc regulations prescribe minimum maturation periods of 15 months for non-vintage wines, 24 months for vintage wines and 36 months for Riserva. Altemasi's longer-aged selections substantially exceed these minima; Graal and Pas Dosé have been described with more than 60 months on the lees, while the current Riserva Graal presentation specifies more than 70 months.
Remuage and disgorgement
Bottles undergo remuage either on wooden pupitres or with mechanical gyropalettes. Daily rotation and progressively steeper inclination bring the spent yeast into the neck. Disgorgement removes this sediment. Most cuvées are balanced with liqueur d'expédition made from sugar and selected wines aged in barriques. For zero-dosage production, the bottle is topped with the same wine without added sugar.
The renovated facility includes a new packaging line designed to increase capacity. Its expansion is intended to add production and storage capacity while improving logistical and energy efficiency.
Filosofia
Altemasi's philosophy is centred on expressing the freshness and aromatic definition of high-altitude Trentino through the Classic Method. Mountain acidity, extended time on the lees and careful blending are used to combine freshness with structure, complexity, balance and refinement.
The oenology team seeks consistency from vintage to vintage while retaining a recognizable territorial identity. Its declared stylistic ideal is an equilibrium in which vibrant mountain freshness meets harmony and elegance. The wines are presented not simply as products of technique, but as a synthesis of selected mountain vineyards, patient maturation and the oenologists' knowledge of Trentino's varied sites.
Tradition and technology operate together: manual harvesting and prolonged bottle ageing are paired with controlled fermentation, mechanical gyropalettes where appropriate, a vertically organized production facility and continuing investment in energy-efficient infrastructure.