Elena Walch Beyond the Clouds 2021

Elena Walch’s stunning Beyond the Clouds is rightly rated as one of the finest Italian White wines. Elegant though hugely complex and very long this is worth every penny.

The blend depends on the picking dates of the Chardonnay as the other varietals are picked on the same day and co-fermented. Three months lees stirring is followed by 10 months in French oak and further bottle aging.

A successful architect, Elena Walch married into one of the oldest winemaking families in the Alto Adige in the 1980s and her first vintage under her own name was in 1988, when she became the mountain region’s first female winemaker. She went on to win acclaim around the world, with daughters Julia and Karoline now working alongside her. The pioneering winemaker owns some of the best vineyards in Italy, including two monopoles: Castel Ringberg in Caldaro and Kastelaz in Tramin, both at 300-400m altitude.