Wines from South Tyrol and Trentino

The grapes for this exceptional dessert wine are harvested at the end of November at the earliest, when the night temperatures fall below zero degrees and a late harvest of the noble rotten fruit is possible in correspondingly high quality. Straw yellow in colour with golden reflections. Opulent bouquet of peach, melon, redcurrant and tropical fruit with the elegance that comes from the noble rot of the very late harvested grapes. The flavour is fresh, full-bodied, highly aromatic and with a well-balanced sweetness. An excellent meditation wine or also ideal with spicy blue cheese, foie gras terrine or dry desserts. SUPERIORE.DE

In the local dialect, ‘Giatl’ means ‘small plot of land’ – and this name is steeped in history. The ten-hectare single vineyard in the valley floor of Kurtinig a.d.W. is one of the most exceptional terroirs for Pinot Grigio in the South Tyrolean Unterland. On sandy alluvial soils with calcareous gravel, vines grafted onto low-vigor rootstocks thrive here under ideal conditions, trained using the Guyot system. The unique microclimate of this sun-drenched spot is shaped by two contrasting wind systems: the warm ‘Ora’ blows northwards from Lake Garda in the afternoons, tempering the daytime heat, whilst at night cool downdrafts from the Dolomites provide relief. These extreme temperature fluctuations allow for long, slow ripening phases whilst perfectly preserving acidity and concentrating the aromas. Following hand-harvesting and destemming, a short cold maceration takes place to emphasise the fruitiness. The gently pressed grapes are clarified by natural sedimentation before alcoholic fermentation takes place in small and large French oak barrels (12 months) and in stainless steel tanks (6 months). Yeast ageing lends the wine valuable complexity and depth, whilst further months of bottle ageing round off its profile.

Terlan is a small village south of Bolzano – and one of Italy’s most exceptional white wine regions. The combination of porphyry rock, calcareous subsoil, marked temperature fluctuations between day and night, and the Alps, which shield the valley from cold Atlantic winds, creates a terroir that gives white wines a longevity unrivalled anywhere else in the world. Founded in 1893, the Cantina Terlan has brought this potential to life like no other in the region.

The porphyry-rich steep slopes on the Ritten above Bolzano offer first-class conditions for producing a Sauvignon Bianco with unique fruit, minerality, elegance and depth. Straw yellow in colour with greenish reflections. Precise fruity flavours of gooseberry, elderflower, herbs, yeast and a fine woody note. Harmonious flavour with very well-integrated acidity, an accentuated body and an elegant mineral note. Long and deep on the finish. SUPERIORE.DE

Furggl is a field name that sticks in the memory. In the municipality of Auer, in the heart of South Tyrol’s Unterland region, this single vineyard is situated on alluvial soils composed of limestone and porphyry gravel, interspersed with sand and loam. A terroir that offers the late-ripening Lagrein exactly what it needs: warmth, depth and the soil moisture that ensures a consistent supply of water even in dry years. The vines, grafted onto low-vigor rootstocks and trained using the Guyot system, yield concentrated harvests of just 45 hectolitres per hectare. Following the hand-harvest in early October, the destemmed grapes first undergo a one-day cold maceration before fermentation takes place at 28–30 °C over ten days. Regular pumping over and gentle submersion keep the must in contact with the skins – , allowing colour pigments and fruit aromas to permeate the heart of the wine. After two careful rackings, the long ageing process begins: 12 months in French barriques, followed by 6 months in stainless steel, then a further 6 months of bottle ageing. Only after a total of 24 months’ ageing does this wine reach the customer – ready to drink, yet with the potential to age for a decade or more.

All the vineyards of the Falkenstein winery face south. Except for one. The St. Ursula vineyard is exposed to the south-west, and this decision is no coincidence. Pinot Noir needs a different logic than Riesling or Pinot Blanc: a little less direct midday sun, a little more afternoon warmth, a slower, more even ripening. On dry glacial moraine soils of gneiss, slate, granite, mica and quartz, at altitudes between 600 and 900 metres, the basis for the estate's top selection grows here. The St. Ursula is the selection of the best grapes from this unique parcel – hand-picked, matured in barriques, the only Falkenstein wine not aged in acacia wood but in small wooden barrels. Aged in the bottle for at least 365 days before leaving the winery. The name bears – like so many vineyards in Alpine South Tyrol – the history of a chapel or patrocinium that has characterised this landscape for centuries.

The steep porphyry slopes at an altitude of up to 650 metres on the Ritten above Bolzano offer ideal conditions for vinifying this powerful yet elegant Chardonnay with outstanding balance, well-integrated acidity and excellent ageing potential. Straw yellow in colour with greenish inclusions. Pure exotic flavours of pineapple, mango and white peach on the nose, underpinned by a delicate vanilla note. Powerful on the palate, the well-integrated acidity keeps it fresh and mineral despite its power and complexity, right through to an almost infinitely long finish. A great Chardonnay from South Tyrol! SUPERIORE.DE

Fine traditional brut from the Lunelli family, who work tirelessly on the authenticity of their Trentino classics. A wide range of aromas and an elegant flavour with a good structure offer first-class enjoyment on many occasions. On the nose, crisp green apple, tangy lemon and a hint of toasted brioche. On the palate, citrus fruits harmonise with white peaches with a subtle hint of minerality. The bubbles are fine and persistent, the finish refreshing and clean. SUPERIORE.DE

Punggl is a word from the dialect of the South Tyrolean lowlands that refers to a small hill. But this inconspicuous name stands for one of the region's most renowned vineyards: at the foot of the Fennberg, south of Margreid, rises the eponymous hill with its precious alluvial soils of fine sand, silt and clay deposits. Here, where the Mediterranean climate of the warm valley floor meets the thermals of the Alps, the Merlot finds ideal conditions for a ripeness that combines vigour and finesse. From April to October, constant air currents characterise the microclimate of the site. The warm afternoon wind that rises from Lake Garda through the Adige Valley and the cool morning breeze from the north create an interplay that allows the grapes to ripen slowly and evenly. The vines, grafted onto low-growing rootstock and trained using the Guyot system, are tended with the utmost care.

Pale pink with orange reflections. Elegant, fine aroma of flowers and roses, small red berries and herbs and the typical bread and yeast flavour. Very supple on the palate, fresh and forward, the acidity is agile and the mousse is soft and fine. A mouthful of red berries and a very broad range of herb and spice flavours are wonderfully enveloped by a fresh acidity that finishes this very long wine with a fruity, tart and salty note. SUPERIORE.DE

Perfection is achieved when grape variety, terroir and microclimate come together in perfect harmony. Thalman embodies this philosophy to the highest degree. This exceptional Pinot Nero hails from carefully selected vineyards on the Ritten and in Leitach, at altitudes of between 500 and 750 metres, where warm, well-ventilated hillsides and volcanic porphyry soils create ideal conditions. The centuries-old Burgundian tradition finds its South Tyrolean interpretation here through a winemaking process that combines respect for the grape variety with state-of-the-art cellar technology.

In the warm alluvial soils of Gries, where thirty visionary winegrowers laid the foundations for an extraordinary Lagrein tradition in 1908, one of the greatest wines in South Tyrol is still produced today. The Grieser Prestige embodies more than a century of accumulated experience with this indigenous grape variety, which forms the heart of Bolzano's wine culture like no other. Only the choicest grapes from the best vineyards with drastically reduced yields find their way into this Riserva – a selection that begins in the vineyard and is based on the highest quality standards.

With "LIL'KRA XXIII", Alois and Clemens Lageder venture a first glimpse into the future of the legendary Krafuss vineyard – a Pinot Nero made from young grapes, vinified as an experiment and harbinger. The parcel was replanted in 2020, with impressive diversity: 20 different Pinot clones and massal selections on various rootstocks, planted on calcareous slopes above Eppan. The 2023 vintage marks the first small harvest – a delicate, vibrant start that already hints at the potential of the future Grand Cru site Krafuss. Fermentation for around a week on the skins with a small proportion of whole bunches. This is followed by gentle ageing – initially in stainless steel tanks, followed by around 17 months in large oval oak barrels. During the maturation period, the wine underwent a slightly reductive phase, which gave it additional tension and precision. Bottled unfiltered in January 2025.

Maximum was one of the first labels created by Giulio Ferrari at the beginning of the 20th century. A Blanc de Blancs with an unmistakable style that still stands for freshness and elegance today. This Trento DOC epitomises the perfect symbiosis between Chardonnay and the mountains of Trentino like no other Casa Ferrari sparkling wine. The grapes come exclusively from carefully selected Chardonnay vineyards on the slopes of the Trentino mountains between 300 and 700 metres above sea level. Facing south-east and south-west, the vines benefit from optimal sunshine and cool nights - ideal conditions for a Chardonnay with structure and finesse. The grapes are harvested by hand in the first half of September, when they have reached perfect aromatic ripeness. Gentle pressing is followed by Metodo Classico vinification with traditional bottle fermentation. The maximum matures on the fine lees for 24 months.

Michei di Michei – this is the Ladin way of saying: the Michei of Michei. The son of the father, named after the one who came before him. This is an old practice in Trentino and Ladin in the Dolomites – the name of the Maso bears the history of the family that cultivated it, long before anyone had the idea of making a single-vineyard wine from its grapes. Maso Michei is located in a quiet, remote corner of southern Trentino, close to the border with Veneto, above the historic trading town of Ala, in the heart of the Piccole Dolomiti. 790 to 850 metres above sea level. Southern exposure, loose limestone dolomite-pebble soils, crystal-clear mountain air. The vines grow slowly at this altitude. Winter comes earlier, summer is shorter, the ripening period extends well into autumn. What remains is concentration without heat, depth without heaviness.

"Many individuals" – is the motto of this extraordinary comet, named after Rainer Zierock, the late viticulture professor and friend of the Lageder family. Over 25 years ago, Zierock planted over 200 grape varieties from all over the world in Casòn Hirschprunn in Margreid, between 230 and 360 metres above sea level on sandy, stony dolomitic limestone soil. What began as an ampelographic experiment became a vinological statement: a blended set not of three, but of around 200 different varieties – white and red grapes together. "Out of chaos, movement ultimately creates form," said Joseph Beuys.

A vineyard like a time capsule: Replanted around 1900 after the phylloxera epidemic, the oldest vines have been growing here for 120 years on calcareous sandy loam soils between 290 and 320 metres above sea level. With MAX XIX, Alois Lageder is preserving one of these rare South Tyrolean treasures – an authentic "mixed set" of different Vernatsch varieties such as Tschaggelevernatsch, Edelvernatsch and Grauvernatsch, complemented by Lagrein, Teroldego and other indigenous varieties. The special thing about this heterogeneity: at harvest time, some grapes are perfectly ripe, others are already overripe and others are still unripe – a natural interplay between sugar and acidity that gives each vintage its own tension.

At the foot of the hills below Söll, the hamlet of Tramin, lies the Steinraffler – a single, precisely defined vineyard that gives the Lagrein exactly what it needs: sandy, gravelly moraine soils with limestone deposits and volcanic deposits. Dry, airy, heat-conducting. Ideal for a grape variety that requires concentration. The speciality of the microclimate: the exchange between the cool mountain winds from the Alps and the warm Ora, the wind from Lake Garda, which blows up from the south every day. This tension – coolness and warmth in the rhythm of the day – is the invisible winemaker of the Steinraffler. The Vigna label, which Hofstätter was the first house in Alto Adige to put on a label, stands for a single parcel, a single voice. The Steinraffler is the highest expression of Lagrein in the portfolio. 15 months in small oak barriques, then 7 months in large barrels – the wood provides structure and depth without overpowering the typical varietal fruit. Then at least twelve months in the bottle before the wine leaves the winery.

At some point in the history of Nals Margreid, the Gambero Rosso even declared Sirmian to be the best white wine in Italy. We are not surprised. Above Nals, in the Sirmian district, the slopes lie between 500 and 700 metres above sea level. South-east facing, alpine climate: mild summers, cool autumns, a long growing season that ends in mid-October with the harvest. The soil is a geological archive: Permeable glacial moraine of limestone, gneiss, mica, slate and marble, deposited millions of years ago by glaciers in the Western Alps, resting on porphyry, the volcanic bedrock of the bedrock.

In South Tyrol, the name St. Valentin has long stood for more than just a premium range – it is a promise. A promise of precision, a commitment to terroir, and the determination to draw the maximum expression from well-known grape varieties. With Pinot Grigio, this is achieved in an almost understated manner – without drama, but with depth and character. The vines for the St. Valentin Pinot Grigio grow on selected, higher-altitude plots around Eppan, where calcareous gravel soils, alpine altitude and long hours of sunshine create an exceptional interplay. A Pinot Grigio that does not aim for quick fruitiness or casual appeal, but rather for structure, minerality and longevity. After harvest, fermentation takes place partly in stainless steel and partly in large wooden casks – the subsequent ageing on the fine lees lends it substance and a hint of creamy elegance.

Siebeneich is not a fantasy name. The small village to the west of Bolzano gives its name to the wine – and itself bears one of the oldest wine stories in South Tyrol. Archaeologists found vine knives from the late Iron Age here, which are considered the oldest evidence of prehistoric Weinwirtschaft in the region. Merlot on this soil: a young grape variety on ancient ground. Cellar master Rudi Kofler says that Merlot grows best in Terlan on the warm, south-facing clay slopes. This is exactly where Siebeneich is located – a terroir that gives this international variety the substance to tell the story of South Tyrol instead of imitating Bordeaux. Hand-picked, destemming, slow maceration in steel, malolactic fermentation – then 12 months of ageing: 70 per cent in large wooden barrels, 30 per cent in barriques, one third of which are new. Power with control.

For a biodynamic winegrower, 2024 presented one of the greatest challenges of recent years. The exceptionally wet months of May, June and July brought immense pressure from downy mildew and powdery mildew, which even the normally hardy PIWI varieties struggled to withstand. Only experience and consistent work in the vineyard ensured the vines came through this phase virtually unscathed. Late frost had already significantly reduced the harvest yield – in the end, it stood at a modest 27 hectolitres per hectare. However, the short, hot weeks from mid-July to the end of August, followed by a lovely autumn lasting until the end of September, produced grapes of a quality that exceeded all expectations.