Adrien Stevens Blu di Notte Ticino – 2022

Adrien Stevens is a rising star on the Ticino wine scene who has just been awarded “Swiss wine rookie of the year for 2024” by Gault Millau. He is 40 years old and has had fantastic previous winemaking experience at Domaine Nicolas Joly in the Loire Valley, and more recently with Christian Zündel in Ticino. Perhaps no surprise then that he produces his wines biodynamically and vinifies them with as little intervention as possible. His recently-purchased winery sits on top of a sunny hill in Monteggio, Malcantone, but his flagship wine, “Blu di Notte”, comes from old vines planted on limestone and clay soils in Castel San Pietro in the Mendrisiotto. These special soils are very similar to those in Pomerol, Bordeaux, and give his Merlot a wonderful mix of freshness, opulence and structure.

Also important to his style is the long, slow (60 day) maceration and fermentation he gives his Merlot grapes, without crushing them first. This gives maximum purity and depth of flavour without releasing any bitter tannins into the wine. His Blu di Notte Merlot is then matured for 14 months in Burgundy barrels and then bottled with no filtration and very little SO².

From 47 year old Merlot vines planted high up in the Mendrisiotto region of Ticino, this is a true Alpine Merlot. Deep and dark in colour, it has delectable rich, ripe mulberry fruit flavours and hints of violets. Despite the heat of the 2022 growing season, the low-pH limestone soils and high altitude of the vines have given elegance and freshness to the wine, so that you barely notice its 15% alcohol. There is a very gentle hint of vanilla from its time in oak barrels, and extremely fine tannins. This is quite simply the most pleasurable Ticino Merlot I have tasted!

Enjoy with roast lamb with thyme.

225 cases were produced.

Drink now – 2029.