Wines from South Tyrol and Trentino

Italy's most famous Müller-Thurgau from a single vineyard at over 1,000 metres above sea level: sublimely sparkling straw yellow, very precise, clean aroma, a potpourri of tropical fruits, a little chamomile and a hint of nutmeg. Amazingly full-bodied on the palate with lots of juicy fruit. An elegant, extra-dry Müller Thurgau from the highest Müller Thurgau vineyard in Europe with an impressive complexity and length for this grape variety. SUPERIORE.DE

The heart of the Lageder revolution beats on the spectacular steep slope of the Römigberg, where Lake Kaltern stretches like a mirror at the foot of the vines. Here, on the plot of land that has always borne the name Herz – latin "Cor" – alois Lageder dared to do the impossible in 1986: In an unprecedented act of courage, he planted the first large vineyard in South Tyrol in dense planting on a wire frame, radically breaking with the centuries-old pergola tradition. What began as a scandal became a legend. Working with winegrowers from all over the world – the legendary Robert Mondavi from California and several chateau owners from Bordeaux – inspired Lageder to make this visionary decision. He recognised that the steep south-southeast-facing slopes between 250 and 330 metres, characterised by stony, gravelly dolomite limestone over ancient moraine deposits from the third ice age, had the potential for world-class wines. Here, where warm Mediterranean influences meet Alpine coolness and intense sunshine meets millions of years of geological history, conditions of unique complexity are created.

Gant stands for greatness. This Merlot Riserva has been the flagship of Andrian for years. A wine that shows what this international grape variety can achieve at high altitudes in South Tyrol. While Merlot is often too lush elsewhere, here, between 250 and 300 metres above the Adige Valley, it finds its elegant side. The sites are perfectly chosen: Medium-heavy, sandy loam soil ensures good drainage and prevents the Merlot from becoming too fat. The cooler microclimate slows down the ripening process, maintains the acidity and ensures finer tannins. Exactly what this grape variety needs to develop character rather than just vigour. The vinification follows classic rules: Mash fermentation in stainless steel with gentle movement of the mash. After alcoholic fermentation, the wine is transferred to barriques for malolactic fermentation and further ageing. The wood integrates elegantly, providing structure without dominating. Time and patience are two of the secrets of Gant.

Garnet red with a ruby red reflection and light-coloured rim. Distinct, typical varietal flavour with notes of red berries, cherries and fine spices, cinnamon and white pepper. Clearly perceptible but well-integrated wood flavour. Full flavour with a balanced, medium body and fresh finish with a delicate bitter almond note and a long, elegant aftertaste. SUPERIORE.DE

The name Manna evokes biblical associations, but the true story is even more beautiful: Franz Haas dedicated this extraordinary wine to his wife Maria Luisa Manna in 1995 – a token of love in bottle form that unites the philosophy of the winery in a single cuvée. What began as an assemblage of Riesling, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer and Sauvignon Blanc was expanded to include Kerner from 2013 onwards – five grape varieties, five personalities that merge into a harmonious symbiosis. The vineyards are located between 350 and 800 metres above sea level in a south-westerly direction on geologically highly diverse soils: dolomite, porphyry, sand and marl give each plot its own character. The grapes ripen at different times and are harvested and vinified separately – chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc ferment in barriques, while Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Kerner ferment in stainless steel tanks. After fermentation, the young wines are blended and left to rest on the fine lees for around ten months, followed by further months of bottle ageing. This patient approach results in a wine of exceptional complexity.

There are wines that change a grape variety forever. Granato is one of them. The legendary Teroldego that has been convincing the wine world since 1987 that Italy's Alpine heights can produce red wines of international calibre. Its name is both programme and poetry: Granato – the pomegranate, the ancient Mediterranean fruit that, like the vine, came to Italy thousands of years ago and whose ruby-coloured seeds remind Elisabetta Foradori of the essence of perfect grapes. In the historic Noval, Regin and Pedot vineyards of Campo Rotaliano, where Teroldego vines over seventy years old sink their roots deep into the Dolomite soil, a wine of monumental proportions is created. Here, on the alluvial sediments of prehistoric times, these ancient vines have grown in complexity decade after decade. Elisabetta's biodynamic philosophy reaches its purest form with these Methuselah vines: Not to intervene, but to guide nature to its peak.

Dear Aich – the name sounds like old South Tyrolean history, and that's exactly what it is. The Tenuta Lieben Aich in Terlan, at an altitude of 300 metres, was once part of the estate with which Hieronymus Manincor was rewarded for his services to Austria in 1608 and elevated to the nobility. The family has been producing wine for over 300 years. The "Man-in-cor" coat of arms – hand on heart – still adorns the façade of the ancestral home on Lake Kaltern. The south-west facing vineyards benefit from a warm, breezy microclimate and sandy soils of volcanic origin: porphyry weathered rock that combines minerality and drainage. 2023 presented the winegrowers with challenges – wet spring, hot and dry summer, then a golden autumn that allowed for perfect ripeness. Aromas, sugar and acidity were in perfect balance by mid-September. Yield: 41 hectolitres per hectare. The destemmed grapes macerate on the skins for twelve hours – an unusual step for white wine, which extracts flavour and structure from the skins. Spontaneous fermentation with wild yeasts takes place in wooden barrels, followed by ten months of ageing on the fine lees in large oak barrels.

In 1987, Paolo Foradori coined a term that changed South Tyrol's wine world: "Vigna". Not as a marketing idea, but as a conviction – that a wine only shows its true character when it comes from a single, clearly defined vineyard. Barthenau Vigna S. Urbano was the first South Tyrolean winery to put this philosophy on its label. Today, a generation later, Martin Foradori-Hofstätter continues to pursue this idea with the same rigour and the term "Vigna" has found its way throughout South Tyrol. Mazon is the absolute cru location for South Tyrolean Pinot Nero – a gentle high plateau on the cooler eastern side of the Adige Valley, at 450 metres, where clay-limestone soils lie above the so-called Werfen formation: heterogeneous sedimentary rocks that give the soil a mineral depth that is unmistakably evident in the wine. The vines at Vigna San Urbano are over 65 years old – roots that reach deep enough to keep calm even in difficult years.

There are wines that change a grape variety forever. Granato is one of them. The legendary Teroldego that has been convincing the wine world since 1987 that Italy's Alpine heights can produce red wines of international calibre. Its name is both programme and poetry: Granato – the pomegranate, the ancient Mediterranean fruit that, like the vine, came to Italy thousands of years ago and whose ruby-coloured seeds remind Elisabetta Foradori of the essence of perfect grapes. In the historic Noval, Regin and Pedot vineyards of Campo Rotaliano, where Teroldego vines over seventy years old sink their roots deep into the Dolomite soil, a wine of monumental proportions is created. Here, on the alluvial sediments of prehistoric times, these ancient vines have grown in complexity decade after decade. Elisabetta's biodynamic philosophy reaches its purest form with these Methuselah vines: Not to intervene, but to guide nature to its peak.

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.

Impressively structured Chardonnay from the Kreuth estate. The western vineyard produces a very elegant wine that impresses with its fine acidity, creamy structure and elegant interplay of flavours. Bright, radiant straw yellow in colour. Complex and balanced, with an abundance of tropical fruit, underlined by a sensual salty minerality. Long and persistent. 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

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.

Born of fire. This is how the Cantina Terlan describes the red porphyry rock, between whose slopes the vineyards have nestled like small sun terraces. The rock is of volcanic origin, millions of years old, and it gives the area its unmistakable character – the wines their minerality, the cellar its façade, the wine its name. The porphyry is Terlan's red answer to the question of what Lagrein can be if you think it through to the end. No compromises. Three selected single vineyard sites, whose vines are almost a century old. Old vines yield little – but what they do yield is the sum of a long life in the grape flesh. Manual harvesting, destemming, slow maceration in steel – and then: 18 months exclusively in barrique, a third of which is new. No large wooden barrels, no compromises. Only barrique, only concentration, only depth.

This beguiling Gewürztraminer is one of the most exciting growths in the wine world and the favourite of the Italians. Golden yellow with an aroma potpourri of roses, exotic fruits and oriental spices. Powerful and complex on the palate with discreet residual sweetness and a long finish. Gewürztraminer Sanct Valentin is an absolute top growth that promises wonderful drinking pleasure even after many years. SUPERIORE.DE

"Silent greatness. Noble is he who is self-sufficient. Perhaps a little demanding and in any case sensitive. But has many sought-after qualities: Clarity, freshness, complexity." Michael Graf Goëss-Enzenberg, Weingut Manincor

Eichhorn vineyard – the name sounds like South Tyrol, like centuries-old vines rooted in sandy loam soils on volcanic porphyry weathered rock. As with the Sauvignon, this parcel is also located within the Tenuta Lieben Aich in Terlan, 300 metres above sea level, south-west exposed to the mild breeze. But where Tannenberg aims for maximum mineral tension, Eichhorn seeks a balance between Alpine clarity and Mediterranean fullness. This is where Pinot Bianco – pinot Bianco, as South Tyroleans call it – a variety that oscillates between restraint and expression. After a wet spring and hot summer, 2024 brought a golden autumn that allowed for physiologically perfectly ripe grapes. The grapes were harvested by hand at the end of September, striking an ideal balance between ripeness, freshness and moderate alcohol – a vintage that combines cool character with ripe fruit. The yield was 50 hectolitres per hectare. The destemmed berries remain in the press for eight hours for maceration – this is shorter than for Sauvignons because Pinot Blanc is more subtle in its use of structure. Spontaneous fermentation with wild yeasts in wooden barrels, followed by nine months of ageing on the fine lees.

"The Löwengang Chardonnay is an expression of classic refinement: An elegant, fine wine with good complexity, great structure and a pronounced body, whose origin characterises its character. When the Chardonnay came onto the market and a suitable name was sought, it was clear that the Margreid vineyard should take centre stage. It was the perfect opportunity to revive the name Löwengang and give the newly created, high-quality wines this name." Alois Lageder

South Tyrol's Chardonnay legend writes another chapter. Since 1994, the Löwengang has characterised the perception of Alpine white wine excellence like no other. The historic estate above Margreids holds a secret: Chardonnay vines, whose roots reach up to five decades deep into the South Tyrolean soil, thrive on barren limestone soils between 230 and 330 metres. The warm microclimate with its nightly drops in temperature produces grapes of concentrated minerality. The Lageder family gives this terroir free rein. Organic farming without compromise, spontaneous fermentation in hand-picked barriques from the Tronçais and Vosges forests. One third new wood lends structure, while eleven months on the lees give the wine its silky texture. A further twelve months of ageing in the cellar bring the final harmony.

Mazon is not silent. If you listen carefully, you can hear something different in every vintage – sometimes warmth, sometimes coolness, sometimes the Alpine downdraughts that sweep across the plateau in the evening and sharpen the flavours of the grapes. The 2020 is a vintage that listens and responds: fresh, transparent, with a precision in the fruit that only emerges in calm conditions. The Barthenau estate, built 150 years ago by Ludwig Barth von Barthenau, has belonged to the Foradori-Hofstätter family for decades. The single vineyard Vigna San Urbano – south Tyrol's first officially classified single-vineyard wine, declared a "Vigna" by Paolo Foradori in 1987 – lies at the heart of this estate. Clay-limestone over the Werfen formation, vines over 65 years old, a site that gives the Pinot Nero what it needs: mineral subsoil, cool nights and the time it deserves. Harvested entirely by hand, completely destemmed. Fermentation in concrete vats, ten days of skin contact with remontage. Then twelve months in barrique, eight months in large cask, eight months in bottle – always in the cellars of Barthenau, where the temperature remains constant and the wine finds its own peace.

The name says it all – and rarely has a wine deserved its name so consistently. Quartz: a mineral that was formed in fire, has survived for millions of years and is still visible today in Terlan's soils as a fine speckle in the volcanic porphyry rock. 55 to 60 per cent quartz content, slightly acidic pH value, skeleton-rich sandy-loamy structure without carbonate – a soil that allows water to pass through, rations nutrients and puts the vine under controlled stress. This micro-stress is not a deficiency. It is intentional. It forces the plant to produce terroir-specific polyphenols, which give the wine the savoury tension for which Terlan is internationally renowned.

Pinot Blanc has been part of the Sanct Valentin line since 2001 – born out of the realisation that this long underestimated variety is capable of achieving extraordinary things at the high altitudes of Eppan-Berg. Between 450 and 600 metres, where limestone gravel and clay form the foundation, ten to thirty-two year old vines grow facing south-southeast. Extremely low yields from meticulously selected plots. Hand-picked at the end of September, then two different methods: one half fermented with malolactic fermentation and yeast storage in barriques and tonneaux, the other in large oak barrels. After just under a year, the wine is blended when it is clear what belongs together – then a further eight months of maturation in steel tanks to finalise the balance.

Sauvignon Sanct Valentin is probably the best-known white wine from the St. Michael-Eppan winery. It has been vinified from carefully selected single vineyards at the foot of the Mendelstock since 1989. Yellow-green in colour, dense bouquet of yellow fruit, gooseberry, elderflower and ripe redcurrant, smooth on the palate with elegant, floral richness and crisp acidity. A great and very savoury top wine and probably the most award-winning white from the internationally highly respected winegrowers' cooperative. SUPERIORE.DE