Wines from South Tyrol and Trentino

Sauvignon is a grape variety that does not hide its character. Gooseberry, elderflower, nettle, flint – if you recognise these attributes, you don't have to guess for long. Hofstätter cultivates Sauvignon in cooler mountain vineyards, which appear under the designation Vigneti delle Dolomiti – a reference to a terroir that has more altitude and more alpine freshness than the vineyards along the South Tyrolean Wine Road. The result is a Sauvignon with clear varietal typicity and the unmistakable Hofstätter style: not an obtrusive wine, but one that carries its flavour with elegance.

The classic grape variety from the Loire finds its southern alpine perfection on the calcareous clay soils between 300 and 500 metres. These medium altitudes offer ideal conditions for Sauvignon Blanc: The alpine microclimate with cool nights and warm days preserves the typical varietal flavour and lively acidity. Pale straw yellow in colour with greenish reflections. The intense bouquet reveals the variety of aromas typical of the variety: elderflower harmonises with ripe gooseberries, tropical nuances of passion fruit and kiwi blend with subtle herbal notes. On the palate, the Sauvignon Blanc is gentle yet structured with perfectly balanced acidity. The six-month yeast ageing gives it a silky texture and additional depth and length. Appealing, very crisp final. SUPERIORE.DE

The name Mediaevum refers to the Middle Ages, when minstrels such as Oswald von Wolkenstein sang about the wine from the Gump Hof – as a symbol of lightness and freshness. Markus Prackwieser's Vernatsch from the everyday Mediaevum line epitomises precisely this philosophy: uncomplicated wines that enrich life without any pretensions to great drama. The grapes grow on calcareous moraine soils over quartz porphyry in the southern Eisack Valley. After a short cold maceration, the wine ferments for a week in stainless steel tanks, followed by malolactic fermentation and six to eight months of ageing, two thirds in steel and one third in large wooden barrels.

The Vogelmaierhof is enthroned high above Lake Kaltern, where cool downdraughts blow through the side valley and give the Goldmuskateller its characteristic freshness. This organically farmed plot of land between 300 and 400 metres above sea level is a secret favourite in the Lageder range. The dry vinification process brings out the aromatic grape variety's full typicality: some of the grapes are fermented as whole bunches, while the rest matures for six months on the fine lees in stainless steel.

The grapes for this single-varietal Pinot Bianco come from altitudes of up to 700 metres around the municipality of Montan. Delicate greenish-yellow in colour, with a fine bouquet of green apple, lemon, chalk and some crushed rock. Fine texture on the palate, with good structure and excellent depth. The spicy, fruity finish is characterised by precise, linear acidity and notes of pear and apple. Great and very balanced! SUPERIORE.DE

The name says it all: Meczan is the local dialect form of Mazzon – the high plateau to the east of the Adige Valley, at an altitude of 350 to 460 metres, with north-facing slopes and soils of limestone gravel and clay. What Paolo Foradori began to prove in the 1960s and Martin Foradori Hofstätter continues to develop today is now undisputed: Mazzon is Italy's most important location for Pinot Nero. The Meczan is the entry into this world. Some of the grapes are fermented without destemming to give the Pinot more structure and aromatic depth. Ten days on the skins, vinified exclusively in stainless steel.

Strong yellow colour, elegant and fragrant bouquet of exotic fruits, peach, lemon peel, hazelnut and chalk. Medium to full-bodied with layers of ripe fruit and bright, penetrating acidity. Polished, long and delicate finish. SUPERIORE.DE

A vintage South Tyrolean sparkling wine of elegant lightness. The Chardonnay grapes grow at an altitude of 450 metres around Buchholz in the South Tyrolean lowlands, where ideal sunshine and perfect aeration guarantee an excellent acid-sugar ratio. After pressing and destemming, fermentation takes place with pure yeasts at a controlled temperature of 19°C in stainless steel tanks. The second fermentation takes place according to the Metodo Charmat in pressurised tanks, where the wine matures on the lees for six to nine months at 14°C, developing aroma and body. After separation from the yeast and cooling, the wine is left to mature in the bottle for a further three months.

At the Ebnerhof farm in Atzwang, the Unterthiner family works on sandy marl at an altitude of 500 to 550 metres. The eastern slopes benefit from warm winds from the Bolzano valley basin, while cool downdraughts provide freshness at night – ideal conditions for a Pinot Blanc with substance. After temperature-controlled fermentation in stainless steel tanks, the wine matures on the fine lees, part of it in acacia wood barrels, which gives it additional depth.

On the south-facing slopes between 260 and 380 metres above the Adige Valley, South Tyrol's most aromatic white wine unfolds its full seductive power. The unique terroir of Andriano – reddish-loamy limestone soils interspersed with angular dolomite rock – gives Movado its characteristic mineral base. Here, where the continental climate meets Mediterranean influences, the reddish-grey berries of the famous Traminer grape ripen to aromatic perfection. Fermentation takes place at a controlled temperature in stainless steel, followed by six months of refinement on the fine lees, which gives Movado its characteristic texture and complexity.

The name ennobles: Baron Carl Josef Eyrl von und zu Waldgries und Liebenaich – is the full title of the patron, whose vineyards are located in the heart of the classic Lagrein growing area of Gries. The "Collection" line of the Bolzano winery stands for wines from selected vineyards that combine complexity with straightforwardness. After controlled fermentation in stainless steel, the wine matures for twelve months in large oak barrels – an ageing process that preserves the varietal character and gives the Lagrein a gentle polish.

The "Collection" range from the Bolzano Winery is based on a simple principle: the wines bear the winemaker’s name, and each bottle is a portrait of a person and their vineyard site – and thus entails a mutual responsibility. Christian Graf Huyn cultivates the Steinerhof in Siebeneich, one of the warmest wine-growing areas near Bolzano, on sun-exposed porphyry soils at altitudes of between 250 and 300 metres. Merlot is the predominant variety grown on his vineyards. Photovoltaic power is used to run the farm machinery, alongside electric tools, and brush work is used instead of herbicides. Hand-harvesting, thinning the foliage by hand – and much of the work is done by muscle power rather than machinery. Traditional fermentation of the must takes place in steel tanks, followed by ageing in large oak barrels and then bottle ageing.

This classic wine from the Bozen Winery hails from the heartland of Lagrein, the warm porphyry soils of Bozen-Gries at an altitude of 250 metres. Formed in 2001 from the merger of the long-established Gries and St. Magdalena cooperatives, the winery is now one of the leading producers of indigenous South Tyrolean grape varieties – not least thanks to the keen instinct of cellar master Stephan Filippi, who has been making wine here for over three decades.

Count Otto Huyn (1927-1998) embodied the last splendour of the traditional South Tyrolean aristocracy – a nobleman from Eberstein in Carinthia, who owned his best vineyards in Siebeneich near Terlan, thus continuing a centuries-old winemaking tradition of the Tyrolean aristocracy. His privileged plots at an altitude of 250-300 metres, characterised by weathered porphyry soils of volcanic origin, were already considered the crown jewels of South Tyrolean viticulture during his lifetime. The Bolzano winery honours this heritage with its Collection Otto Graf Huyn, a selection that comes exclusively from the top vineyards of the historic estate, personally selected by the cellar master. The unique terroir of Siebeneich, where warm, sun-exposed slopes meet the nutrient-rich weathered soils of the Bolzano porphyry, creates ideal conditions for Bordeaux grape varieties. The cuvée of predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc benefits from the continental character of this location: warm days and cool nights give the grapes the concentration and finesse that characterise this Riserva.

Pinot Blanc is not a fad in Terlan. It is the foundation. The grape variety around which cellar master Rudi Kofler has been thinking for decades is Pinot Bianco – and no other place in Italy produces it as clearly, as long-lived, as unmistakably as these slopes. The vineyards lie at 350 to 900 metres, on steep to very steep slopes on Monte Tschöggl – higher and cooler than most other Terlan parcels. Quartz porphyry, hand-picked, gentle pressing, slow fermentation in steel, 6–7 months on the fine lees.

The evening fall winds of the Mendel Mountains characterise the entire terroir of the St. Michael-Eppan winery. They ensure cool nights and give the grapes the extraordinary characteristics that characterise the aromas, unmistakable freshness and longevity of the wines. The fall wind is the natural force that blows over the vineyard every day, positively influencing the climate and supporting the valuable work of the winegrowers at the cooperative winery.

Above Margreid, where the Mediterranean climate of the lowlands gives way to the coolness of the higher altitudes, lies the Penon. A single vineyard at an altitude of 500 to 600 metres, facing east-southeast – to the morning sun, which sweeps gently and evenly across the vineyard before the afternoon heat sets in. The soil is pure: exclusively limestone gravel with a high humus content. No porphyry, no volcanic deposits, no mixed rock. Just limestone – and, within this limestone, the most concentrated minerality that Nals Margreid has to offer for Pinot Bianco. The Penon is not a ‘Tradition’ wine, but one of the estate’s ‘Selection’ wines: a single vineyard vinified according to the estate’s own style. Hand-harvested, carefully processed, and further aged sur lies in stainless steel.

Chardonnay is a world grape variety – and that is precisely the problem from time to time. Too often it tastes like a desire to be somewhere else: Burgundy, Napa, some ideal. Terlaner Chardonnay does not have this problem. It tastes like Terlan. The vineyards are located on the characteristic quartz porphyry soils on the slopes of Monte Tschöggl, where volcanic primary rock gives the grapes mineral tension and natural freshness. Hand-picked, gentle pressing, slow fermentation in steel, 5–7 months on the fine lees – no wood to over-mould, no butter to smooth.