KERNER

As Ian d'Agata writes: 'Manni Nössing is one of Italy’s most talented winemakers. In fact, all his wines are so good that it’s virtually impossible to pick the best of the lot, or even a favourite.'

We could not agree more. Manni is a charming, unassuming man crafting simply outstanding wines in this beautiful corner of north eastern Italy. The Eisackthal Valley (German Name) or Valle Isarcois (as its known in Italian) is a small tract of the Alto Adige that feels deeply Alpine, Germanic even - it is a mesmorising scenery, completely breathtaking to be in. Beautifully mountainous with green high-pastures, craggy clifftops adorned with isolated monasteries and small patches of vines, neatly ordered and hugging the slopes in small patches, dotted throughout the valley. There is a coming together of cultures here - in the school in Bressanone the first language is German and all the signs are written in both languages. Yet the wines here have a lovely, northern Italian purity. A limpid, crystalline quality. Bright, pure and yet with sensational texture and depth.

The DOC is small - running the length of the valley, just 40 km and made up of nearly 400 hectares under vine. Only white varieties are currently permitted, with Sylvaner, Kerner and Riesling featuring widely. Manni Nossing is farming just 6 hectares and is at the forefront of a new generation of winemakers - who's families historically sold their fruit to the big producers like Abbazia di Novacella, but now make their own wines. Since 2000 Manni has bottled his own wines and is fanatical about expressing the freshness of the terroir and is determined to make wines with huge drinkability - he finds it sad that some people are still trying to make fuller, more 'silicon coated' wines here - 'non per me grazie!'

These are fascinating, powerfully driven wines chiselled and focused - simply so moreish. Hand-crafted artisan winemaking with huge appeal we cannot recommend these wines highly enough.