A new wine cellar elevates Elena Walch's most important tenuta "Castel Ringberg" to a small gem. Situated in the midst of the single vineyard of the same name, from the 2022 vintage the white wines of the multiple award-winning single vineyard will literally mature at their origin.

 

In the heart of Elena Walch's monopollage, classified as vigna, lies its namesake, the romantic Renaissance castle "Castel Ringberg" overlooking Lake Caldaro. A long almost forgotten cellar opposite the entrance to the castle has now been given a new lease of life and completely modernized.

The new "Gutskeller" (estate cellar) digs deep into the steep slopes of the vineyard and offers optimal conditions for largely natural, underground cooling. It was built around 140 years ago - even then for cellaring the wines - while the year of construction of the Castel Ringberg castle itself can be traced back to 1620. Since the Walch family acquired the property a hundred years ago, the cellar lay empty and fell more and more into oblivion. As former architect, Elena Walch has now given the historic estate cellar a new lease of life. A copper-colored corten stretch mantle in the shape of a honeycomb nestles against the barrel vault and protects the interior from the moisture of the vineyard above. The wooden barrels of French and Austrian “tonneliers” below are divided into two rows and show their importance in a play of light and shadow. The entrance of the cellar is surrounded by a small vineyard on the fungus-resistant PIWI grape variety "Souvignier Gris" to emphasize the sustainable guideline of the family estate.

In the 14 wooden barrels of 25hl each, starting with the 2022 vintage, Sauvignon, Pinot Grigio and Riesling Vigna Castel Ringberg, as well as Pinot Bianco Kristallberg are pressed. The large wooden barrel contributes discreetly to the structure of the wines while maintaining their character to respect the identity of the single vineyard. The Castel Ringberg estate cellar is another step by Elena Walch to further emphasize the idea of terroir. The goal is the production of down-to-earth, honest top-quality wines that are an expression of their origin and will in the future also mature precisely there, in the midst of the Vigna Castel Ringberg.