One of the star properties in our Alto Adige list, Weingut Milla is
a relatively new entrant to the wine scene, yet it has already established
a formidable reputation for the quality of its 2 wines - Centa and Milla
- both red Cabernet-Merlot blends - in a very short space of time, with
top reviews and high scores from commentators such as Parker. The bulk
of the grapes for these wines are grown in the 3 hectare Milla vineyard,
which nestles on the edge of the valley floor below the village of Kurtatsch,
which itself sits on a plateau overlooking the Etsch valley below. Most
of Milla is at an altitude of about 230m above sea level, although parts
of it, and some other small scattered holdings, are on steep slopes
risng to altitudes between 350m and 450m. Despite being relatively small,
Milla embraces a wide variety of different terrains and soil types,
ranging from light chalky soils in flatter areas through to heavier
clay soils on the slopes. Pomella uses no herbicides or artificial fertilizers,
and operates some measures to stimulate the soil life in the vineyard.
Both Milla and Centa are made using a broadly similar approach - the
constituent varietals are made as individual wines, Merlot being the
earliest ripening grape, normally harvested in late September, with
Cabernet Franc in early October and Cabernet Sauvignon in mid October.
Each wine is individually aged oak prior to blending, when storage in
stainless takes over. The wine is further aged in bottle before release.
The results from these classic Bordeaux grape varieties are nothing
short of outstanding, and if Pomella's intention was to create Alto
Adige's answer to fine red Bordeaux then I would argue that he has succeeded.
Given that the two wines are so similar in terms of terroir and vinification,
what are the differences between them? Essentially it's to do with grape
selection, percentage of new wood, and maturation times - see the individual
wine descriptions for details. Whilst making comparisons with Bordeaux
estates, it's tempting to think of Milla as a "first" wine
and Centa as a "second" wine - but in reality it's a little
more complex than that. Bordeaux second wine selections tend to be made
after the wine is made, according to qiality criteria, whereas Centa
and Milla are different from the outset and the production processes
are subtly different for each. Both are fabulous, but in different ways.
