Wines from South Tyrol and Trentino

The only thing that has actually changed is the name. The Unterthiner family have always vinified their Pinot Noir in the manner befitting a serious Pinot Noir – with the necessary time in the cellar. The wine matures in small wooden barrels for at least twelve months, often longer, because at the Ebnerhof decisions are never made according to the calendar, but according to taste. This ageing period meets the DOC requirements for a Riserva, so the wine now bears this designation. The approach remains unchanged: following a selective hand-harvest from the limestone-rich, sandy south-facing slopes, the wine undergoes controlled maceration in stainless-steel tanks before being transferred to small wooden barrels, which lend it depth and complexity.

Fórra, an elegant small-batch white wine, is made purely from Manzoni Bianco and has an interesting history and an exciting development. Lageder's project with this grape variety began several years ago and resulted in the crossing of Rhine Riesling and Pinot Bianco. Traditional methods were used in the cellar to ensure freshness and vibrancy. Contact with the skins over several days sharpens the profile of the wine. After spontaneous fermentation, Fórra remains on its lees in wooden barrels for several months. Fórra exudes all this passion and love, all this experience and craftsmanship - a wonderful, great pleasure. SUPERIORE.DE

On the sand – the name already reveals the secret of this extraordinary interpretation of Gewürztraminer. A work of art of aromatic perfection springs from the sandy, calcareous soils of various locations in the lowlands between 240 and 370 metres. From Tramin to the Margreider Schuttkegel to Lake Kaltern and the Eisack Valley, Lageder combines the many facets of this traditional grape variety into a harmonious composition. The biodynamic Demeter cultivation of these selected plots follows the natural rhythms of the landscape. The secret lies in the staggered harvest: As the southern sites are all very hot, Lageder deliberately sets early accents and harvests the grapes at different stages of ripeness – sometimes even with noble rot. One part is vinified spontaneously with whole grapes, the rest matures for nine months partly in stainless steel and partly in large wooden barrels on the fine lees.

Where cool Dolomite winds meet Mediterranean influence, Markus Prackwieser has been writing wine history with quiet consistency at the Gump Hof since 2000. The farm, which was first mentioned in a document in 1546, is spectacularly situated on the steep slopes of the southern Eisack Valley at the foot of the Schlern massif – vineyards with a 50 to 70 per cent gradient at 400 to 500 metres, which require pure manual labour. The experimental winegrower draws his inspiration from Burgundy, the Wachau and the Loire Valley, from the legendary Didier Dagueneau. The Praesulis Gewürztraminer 2024 grows on calcareous moraine soils over quartz porphyry. After a short maceration and gentle pressing, the wine ferments and matures for ten months in steel tanks on the fine lees.

The name "Mimuèt" (to my taste) comes from Ladin. Convinced that South Tyrol offers the best conditions for the Pinot Noir grape variety, Alois Lageder paid particular attention to it at a very early stage. His goal is to produce wines with precision, lightness and filigree structure. Garnet red with ruby reflexes. Pinot Noir Mimuèt smells of ripe black cherries, flowers and spices. On the palate, elegant, almost light on its feet, with a multi-layered, soft finish. SUPERIORE.DE

The evening downdrafts from the Mendel Mountains give the entire terroir of the St. Michael-Eppan Winery its distinctive character. They ensure cool nights and endow the grapes with those exceptional qualities that define the wines' aromas, their unmistakable freshness and their longevity. The downwind is the natural force that sweeps across the vineyard every day, positively influencing the climate and supporting the valuable work of the winegrowers at the cooperative winery.

As La Mia, the Marzadros offer traditional grappas of the region. The decorative label, as typed on a typewriter, and the imitation seal are reminiscent of the official quality controls of bygone times.

Brilliant ruby red with a light-coloured rim. Very precise bouquet of blackberry, raspberry and spices. The palate is light and lively, with an elegant and deep fruit component accompanied by a delicate bitter note and fine spice. A very elegant and juicy Pinot Nero with good Storage potential. SUPERIORE.DE

This wine owes its name to the evening downdrafts of the Mendel Mountains – that natural force which sweeps across the vineyards of Eppan, Kaltern and Pinzon every evening, lending the entire terroir its unmistakable character. These cool breezes create marked temperature fluctuations between day and night, shaping the grapes' aromas and lending the wines that exceptional freshness and longevity which make them true ambassadors of their origin. At altitudes of between 350 and 550 metres, on moraine deposits and calcareous gravel, the Pinot Nero thrives under these special conditions to produce a Riserva of Burgundian elegance. Following fermentation in stainless-steel tanks, the wine undergoes malolactic fermentation during a twelve-month ageing period in barriques and tonneaux. This is followed by blending, before further ageing takes place in concrete tanks. The Riserva classification requires a minimum of two years' total ageing.

As La Mia, the Marzadros offer traditional grappas of the region. The decorative label, as typed on a typewriter, and the imitation seal are reminiscent of the official quality controls of bygone times.

The Winkl has been vinified as a single variety since 1956 – at a time when Sauvignon Blanc was still a rarity in South Tyrol. Winery manager Rudi Kofler says that this grape variety has always felt at home around the oldest farms in the Terlan DOC area. You believe him when you taste the wine. The vineyards lie at 280 to 580 metres above sea level, exposed to the south-southwest, on steep to very steep slopes. The soil is quartz porphyry – volcanic primary rock, crystalline-mineral, with a slightly acidic pH value and an almost natural self-limitation in yields. It is precisely this microstress that produces the terroir's own polyphenols, which give Terlano wines their characteristic saltiness and tension. No other soil, no other result. Hand-picked, gentle whole-cluster pressing, slow fermentation – then 7 to 8 months on the fine lees, 80 per cent in steel, 20 per cent in large wooden barrels. This silent wood component only serves the texture, it gives the wine substance without masking its origin.

As La Mia, the Marzadros offer traditional grappas of the region. The decorative label, as typed on a typewriter, and the imitation seal are reminiscent of the official quality controls of bygone times.

The Pratzner family keeps a few hundred bottles of each good vintage, which are then matured in the cellar for a further 6 years. These refined wines are then sold in small quantities as "Private Reserves" to selected retailers and restaurants, demonstrating the impressive ageing potential of their wines, which are matured for 10 months on the fine lees. Strong straw yellow colour. Intense bouquet of gooseberry with a restrained hint of paprika. Full and juicy on the palate with grapefruit and citrus flavours and an interesting, stimulating spiciness. With an almost youthful freshness and juiciness, this multi-layered Riserva also glides into a wonderfully long, mineral finish. SUPERIORE.DE

Luigi Veronelli was regarded as Italy’s most influential wine critic of the 20th century. In the 1970s, he named the Müller-Thurgau from Pojer e Sandri’s Località Palai vineyard his absolute benchmark wine for the variety. Mario Pojer recalls: “Today, 50 years on, we pay tribute to the variety that has found its ideal habitat.” Fifty years later – the character remains the same. The conviction remains. Palai lies at 700 metres. This is the estate’s highest vineyard – the very same that gives Pinot Noir its alpine coolness and Riesling its precision! For Müller-Thurgau, it is the ideal terroir: a long growing season, cool nights, pronounced temperature variation, chalky soils, and the breeze of the Ora del Garda.

Monogramma is an approach: we wait. Whilst standard Traminer is harvested at the usual stage of ripeness, Mario Pojer and Fiorentino Sandri leave their best plots on the vine for a further 10 to 12 days. What happens during this time is not overripeness – ; it is a concentration, a densification of the aromas, a slow transformation of fresh fruit into something more complex. Gewürztraminer is, in any case, one of the most expressive grape varieties in the world. Normally: rose, peach, lychee, elderflower – — explosive, direct, immediate. In the Spätlese selection from the plots in Faedo/Coveli (300 m) and Cembra (450 m), an additional dimension emerges: tropical fruit, spices, a deep, rich texture that the wine develops through the late harvest. The house method remains the same: washing the grapes, pressing in a controlled atmosphere without oxygen. What ends up in the glass is solely a reflection of the place and the time.

The Pratzner family keeps a few hundred bottles of each good vintage, which are then matured in the cellar for a further 6 years. These refined wines are then sold in small quantities as "Private Reserves" to selected retailers and restaurants, demonstrating the impressive ageing potential of their wines, which are matured for 10 months on the fine lees. Medium-bodied light yellow colour. Complex nose of pome fruit and lychee, the further 6 years of bottle ageing have given the wine a wonderful fullness and depth. We are delighted with the freshness and vigour that this Riserva radiates today. The final has an animating minerality with a pleasant smoky component. SUPERIORE.DE

Pinzon. A vineyard site that has long been regarded by connoisseurs as synonymous with top-quality South Tyrolean Pinot Noir. This small wine-growing village on the eastern side of the Adige Valley, first mentioned in records in 1230, lies amidst the vineyards that, along the Pinot Noir Trail, are counted amongst Italy’s finest Pinot Noir terroirs. Here, at an altitude of around 550 metres in the municipality of Montan, Peter Zemmer cultivates his vines on porphyry soils with deposits of dolomite carbonate rock – —a geological combination that lends the wine its characteristic minerality. The microclimate of the site is shaped by its elevation above the Adige floodplain and its north-westerly aspect, which grants the vineyards long hours of evening sunshine. The ‘Ora’, that famous valley wind which rises from Lake Garda through the Adige Valley, cools the vines in the afternoon and regulates humidity – ideal conditions for this demanding Burgundian variety.

While Lagrein traditionally dominates rosé production in South Tyrol, Franz Haas goes his own way. As a Pinot Nero specialist who has vinified and meticulously documented 592 different Pinot Nero versions in over three decades, he devotes the same attention to his rosé. The vines for this wine grow on Guyot vines at extreme altitudes of between 700 and 750 metres – significantly higher than usual for rosé. Grapes of exceptional quality ripen on dolomite weathered rock, with a high planting density and selected clones. Only 5,000 bottles are produced annually. Vinification consistently follows the white wine method: after destemming, the grapes are pressed directly, without maceration. The must ferments at a controlled temperature in stainless steel, undergoes malolactic fermentation and matures for several months before being bottled. This purist approach preserves the freshness and elegance that can be expected from Pinot Nero at altitude.

Praesulis Sauvignon Blanc unfolds in the glass with hints of aromatic herbs and lemon zest, accompanied by gooseberries, grapefruit and elderberries. Soothingly smooth and with a pleasant inner sweetness, it blends candied lemon with tart melon and lively acidity to create a robust yet juicy style on the palate. It finishes with vibrant tension and good length, leaving behind concentrated citrus fruit and lovely floral notes. Wonderfully elegant and well-balanced. SUPERIORE.DE

One month separates the first harvest from the last: 18 September in Margreid, 18 October in the high altitudes of Teis and Sarns in the Eisack Valley. The fact that Alois Lageder harvests his Riesling over such a long period of time is methodical. The warm limestone slopes of Margreid at 230 metres ripen earlier and give the Surmont substance and fruit. The cool steep slopes in the Isarco Valley, on volcanic bedrock up to 900 metres, provide the opposite: freshness, tension and mineral depth. Both extremes need their own time. The name Surmont – "the mountain above" – is the programme. Riesling finds conditions at these altitudes that it rarely gets elsewhere: a long growing season, cool nights, slow ripening without stressful events. Temperature-controlled fermentation in steel, six months maturation on the fine lees.

In Nals, there is a phenomenon that rarely occurs elsewhere with such intensity: the Venti di Caduta – the downdrafts that plunge down from the mountains and can lower the daytime temperature by up to 20 degrees. Hot days, freezing cold nights – all within a matter of hours. For the Sauvignon Blanc, this means maximum ripeness of the fruit during the day and maximum preservation of acidity and aromatics at night. A microclimate that keeps this grape variety on its toes. Added to this is a soil that is unrivalled in terms of depth and composition: a 150-metre-deep alluvial fan, built up over millennia by the Sirmian and Nals streams, consisting of 70 per cent limestone gravel and 30 per cent porphyry debris. Two geological worlds that lend the Sauvignon both mineral rigour and aromatic depth. Facing east-southeast, at an altitude of 330 to 400 metres, this is the heart of the Nals terroirs.