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Wines aged at high altitude have better organoleptic properties than reference batches aged in the lowlands. This is what the three-Michelin-star chefs René and Maxime Meilleur from the French ski resort Saint Martin de Belleville claim, who have been investigating the influence of altitude on the maturation of wine and food since 2004. To this end, they held a comparative tasting with winemakers, scientists and wine critics a few days ago at their restaurant La Bouitte near the French ski resort of Les Menuires at an altitude of 1,502 metres. They stored a barrel of the Cuvée Ursus 2019 from the Clos de l'Ours winery (Provence) in the cellar of their high-altitude restaurant at 2,700 metres. After two years of ageing, the wine was compared with the barrel of the identical wine stored in the winery at 230 m above sea level. The joint conclusion of the star chefs and wine professionals: the high-altitude wine tasted denser, longer, purer and more harmonious. The tannins are more elegant, the wine is more subtle and complex and develops longer.
Other winemakers also take advantage of the lower air pressure and lower oxygen content: For example, the three wineries Paul Achs from Austria, Dr. Heger**** from Germany and Kellerei St. Pauls*** from South Tyrol have been maturing a cuvée of their Pinot Noirs under the name PINO 3000 at 3,048 m above Sölden since 2011. The South Tyrolean winery Tramin**** even ages its Gewürztraminer Epokale for seven years in a mine tunnel at an altitude of over 2,000 metres.
(al / Source: vitisphere; Photo: Tramin Winery AntieBraito)