Franz Gojer Vernatsch Alte Reben 2023
Franz Gojer is one of the 'gang of four,' a group of fine small producers from the Alto Adige, the others being Andreas Widmann, Ignaz Niedrist, and Peter Pliger from Kuenhof. They have exhibited at Vinitaly together for many years, and they share a philosophy of winemaking: very expressive, very typical, very well-made wines.
Gojer's estate, Glögglhof, is right in the middle of the St. Magdalena hill, a perfect amphitheater just North-East of the city of Bolzano; this is the best-known Schiava appellation, and Gojer is in my view the best producer.
Vigorous ruby red. Fruity and floral with nuances of sour cherry and almonds. In the mouth juicy and stimulating acidity, paired with crunchy tannin as an expression of the high altitude.
Hand-picked and transported in large boxes. Gentle processing. Slow, controlled fermentation in stainless steel tanks with repeated racking.
Alte Reben means ‘old vines’, and Gojer’s Vernatsch vines at Karneid are indeed very old vines. They were planted before their ownership of the site. Entirely Vernatsch, unlike the wines from St. Magdalener, and shows classic pomegranate/herbal flavor.
Schiava, which is the Italian for 'slave,' presumably from the high yields that the vines can carry, is the Italian name for this variety, but the producers usually use their local name, Vernatsch. The German name for the grape is Trollinger, which is a corruption of 'Tyrolinger,' meaning 'from the Tyrol,' confirming that the variety is indigenous to the area.
| Vintage | 2023 |
| Varietal | Vernatsch |
| Appellation | Südtirol |
| Designation | DOC |
| Alcohol | 13.00% |
| Volume | 750 ml |
| Country of Origin | ITALY |
| State of Origin | N/A |
| Artificially Carbonated | No |
| Sparkling Wine | No |
Karneid: South-facing slope, 550-600m above sea level. Light sandy porphyry- based soil with glacial deposits of granite, basalt and gneiss. Pergola training system with 5,000 vines per hectare.
