In order to fully explain the importance of the Hofstätter winery in South Tyrol, we must first of all remember its connection with Tramin and its centuries-old wine history. Wine began to be mentioned in Termeno as early as 1100, and in a document of 1214 we read the authorization granted by the bishop of Trento to the production of wine in his area. Even, in 1379, historical sources mention a particular type of Lagrein, the “Lagarinum”, produced in the area of Tramin. Even, starting from the 16th century, the barrels of Termeno’s wines (the “Traminer Wein”) sold a little throughout Bassa Atesina, were sealed to guarantee the area and the method of production, together with official accompanying documents.
Aware of such an illustrious past, Josef Hofstätter decided to found a winery with the aim of providing bulk wine to be sold retail or served in his inn as house wine. On Josef’s death in 1942, after a brief period of driving by his wife Maria, the winery passed into the hands of his niece Luise, who married Josef’s right-hand man, Konrad Oberhofer. It is with Konrad that the winery begins to develop its vocation for quality: no more bulk wines, bottling with private labels and separate vinification of the most suitable vineyards are the three pillars on which his management is based. Starting from the 60s this work is carried out by the daughter of Konrad and Luise, Sieglinde Oberhofer, and her husband Paolo Foradori, who buys some of the most beautiful land currently owned by the winery, and introduces, for the first time, the classification “Vigna” for South Tyrolean wines, born from a single, specific vineyard. Today is Martin Foradori Hofstätter and, to varying degrees, his three sons, who manage about 55 hectares of land, between 250 and 850 meters above sea level, on soils of various composition, with a production of about 850,000 bottles.
There are many noteworthy wines produced by this winery but, undoubtedly, the latest addition, Pinot Noir Ludwig Barth von Barthenau Vigna Roccolo, is the one that brought the attention to this winery. It is a wine obtained from vineyards of over 70 years on a cru of clay, lime, porphyry and fine gravel whose name derives from the fact that, in the past, there was a “roccolo”, or a cottage for the capture of birds. Here the grapes are selected and harvested manually before a completely manual destemming, a second selection made grain by grain, and a short cold maceration. Fermentation, at constant temperature, takes about ten days, and the wine obtained, before marketing, follows a period of aging in three phases: 12 months in barrique for separate batches, 6 months in a single large cask with the assembled masses, and another 12 months in the cellar.
The 2015 vintage shows a ruby color with slight orange streaks, and an olfactory fan that opens on notes of black cherry syrup, cola, green branch of cinchona and pot pourri, followed by red orange, vinyl, roasting and blond tobacco, with final echoes of carpentry, empyraeumatic and blood. The palate has an important body but this aspect is well masked by an amazing freshness and thick and elegant tannins, combined with a touch of black pepper; all enriched by the return of red fruit, empyraeumatic and blood tones that accompany the sip to an almost endless closure.
Rating: 95/100
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