About this wine
Vineyard and terroir
The fruit is selected from the best plots of each vintage. The medium-altitude, southeast-facing sites combine dolomitic limestone, sandy soils and layers of rock.
Grapes
A selection of the finest white grapes, predominantly Chardonnay. The selection is determined by the character of each vintage.
Vinification
The different varieties are picked once Chardonnay reaches optimum maturity. They are crushed and pressed together, then co-fermented in new French oak barriques. Part of the wine completes malolactic fermentation.
Ageing
Maturation continues for 10 months in barrique on the lees, with regular stirring. At least another six months of bottle ageing precede release.
Technical data
The 2022 has 14.00% alcohol, total acidity of 6.8 g/L and residual sugar of 1.8 g/L. Available formats are 0.375 L, 0.75 L and 1.5 L, and the stated ageing horizon is 15–18 years.
Tasting profile
Brilliant, intense yellow. The complex bouquet combines pineapple and other exotic fruit with blossoms, rose petals and light toast. Dense and full on the palate, it is creamy, soft and elegant yet fresh and juicy, with restrained oak and a long finish.
Serving and pairing
Serve at 11–13°C with flavourful first courses, fish, cheese or white meats.
Vintage notes
Warm, stable conditions in 2022 produced exceptionally healthy, evenly ripe grapes. Spring warmth brought early flowering, while the summer remained dry and increasingly hot. Irrigation, precision technology and targeted canopy work helped preserve balance. Acidity was somewhat lower than usual but remained balanced, and harvest began slightly early at the end of August. The resulting wines combine fruit, complexity and substantial structure.
Label / history
Created with the 2000 vintage as Alto Adige’s first white “super cuvée,” Beyond the Clouds was conceived as the summit of the Elena Walch range and an expression of the best fruit of each year.
