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Structure

Bodymedium
Tanninmedium
Acidityhigh
Sweetnessdry
Finishlong
Oaknone or neutral

Drinking window

Best 5 to 25 years from vintage.

vintage5 yrs25 yrs27 yrs

Critic scores

No critic score is published for this bottle that we can cite with a reviewer, a vintage and a review year, so none is shown. The rating above is our own.

In the glass

Medium-bodiedMedium tanninHigh acidityDryLong finish

Aroma: black berries, licorice, smoke, fine spice

Palate: dense red fruit, minerality, fine fresh tannins, long finish

Elena Walch's supreme Pinot Noir achievement, released in limited 3000-bottle allocations and named after the Egyptian sun god. Sourced from vines 15-61 years old at 400-600 metres at Glen and Barleith; clay-calcareous soils, low-yielding French clones.

What it pairs with

  • Roast pheasant with chestnuts Aton's dense red fruit and smoke notes flatter white game; medium tannins frame the dish.More wines for game →
  • Duck breast with juniper The wine's spice and fine tannin meet the duck's gamey flavour while red-fruit register echoes the spice.More wines for duck breast →
  • Aged Trentino Grana with truffle Mature alpine cheese with truffle meets the wine's minerality and licorice depth.More wines for truffles →

With cheese

Stilfser Local tradition Qualigeo lists Alto Adige Pinot Nero as the other usual partner. Its ripe fruit, fresh acidity and medium, fine tannin set off the strong, spicy paste without burying the slight nuttiness Mila finds in the cheese.

History

Elena Walch launched Aton as the cellar's supreme expression of Pinot Noir in the mid-2010s, sourcing from selected old vines (up to 61 years old) on clay-calcareous soils at high altitude. The wine is released only in select vintages in extremely limited allocations.

  1. 2015First Aton Pinot Nero Riserva vintage released

Facts

Producer
Elena Walch · visiting guide
Grapes
Pinot Nero (100%)
Classification
DOC Alto Adige Pinot Nero Riserva
Oak
Twelve months in French oak barriques with medium toast, then eleven months in stainless steel, bottled without filtration, then fifteen months bottle rest before release
ABV
13.5%
Price
EUR 120 to 180 at retail
Drinking window
5 to 25 from vintage
First vintage
2015

Frequently asked about Pinot Nero Aton Riserva

What does Aton Pinot Nero taste like?

Black berries, licorice, smoke and fine spice on the nose; dense red fruit, minerality, fine fresh tannins and a long finish on the palate. Strong ruby red with timeless finesse and elegance.

When should I drink Aton?

Drink between 5 and 25 years from vintage. The wine is engineered for long cellaring; high-altitude old-vine fruit and extended ageing reward patience.

How rare is Aton?

Released in extremely limited edition of around 3000 bottles per vintage; allocated through the cellar mailing list and select retailers.

What does Aton mean?

Named after the ancient Egyptian god of the sun, referencing the sun-drenched high-altitude vineyards at Glen and Barleith between 400 and 600 metres.

Tags

cellar worthy dry high acid iconic medium body medium tannin mood contemplative mood elegant occasion celebration occasion cellar occasion gift occasion special old vines old world pairs with aged cheese pairs with game pairs with mushroom pairs with poultry pairs with truffles pinot nero price fine still red

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