A solid production of 11,500 bottles, the Abbazia di Novacella 2019 Alto Adige Valle Isarco Sylvaner Praepositus takes a little longer to read and comprehend. Initially, the bouquet reveals crushed limestone and dusty mineral, with fresh lines and an overall simple approach. Sticking mainly to the basics, it shows struck match, fleshy white fruit and hints of petroleum or lacquer. The wine offers a lean-bodied approach, with some extra waxiness or oiliness on the close. It's an easy and well-valued choice for clam chowder.

The 2018 Alto Adige Valle Isarco Sylvaner Praepositus shows a note of flint or struck match. The fruit tones hover at the back and include passion fruit, quince and poached pear. Give the wine a few more months to open; it needs it. In terms of mouthfeel, it shows a mild creamy texture, but this wine needs a little more time to open fully. Production is 16,500 bottles strong.

The 2017 Alto Adige Valle Isarco Sylvaner Praepositus is a mid-weight effort with a belt of extra weight and thickness at the midriff. That's the sweet spot where you get aromas of candied orange, pear and Golden Delicious apple. There is also a vaguely nutty note with blanched almond and acacia wood. Some 15,000 bottles were made.

The 2014 Alto Adige Valle Isarco Sylvaner Praepositus opens to a rich, fatty texture and a generous bouquet with bright grapefruit, pear, stone fruit and pine nut at the front. This wine is all about texture and it wears its extra density and glycerine well. It feels weighted and well constructed in terms of mouthfeel. One third of the wine is aged in acacia wood casks and the other two thirds sees stainless steel to maintain freshness.

Although the Sylvaner grape can sometimes result in bland flavors, the 2012 Alto Adige Valle Isarco Sylvaner Praepositus is anything but boring. Indeed, cool mountain climates have helped to bring forth delicate tones of white flower, honeysuckle and tangerine skin. A delicate mineral shading of flint or crushed river stone helps to glue those various floral and fruity tones together. Approximately one third of the wine is aged in botte made from acacia wood.