Franz Gojer - Alto-Adige, Italy
franz and florian gojer
We LOVE the Alpine fresh wines of Alto-Adige
For nearly twenty years we've been leading efforts to showcase the wines of Alto-Adige. After about a dozen visits, and along with our early support of the wines from Colterenzio, to those of Manni Nossing, to the crisp Taschlerhof whites, the Kuen Hof and Ebner gems and all those superb Gumphof and Andi Solva wines- we ain't done yet!
And why not? Some of Europe's best values hail from Alto-Adige's long steep valley of vineyards stretching up north to the Austrian border.
Gojer wines are a family affair: "Our underlying principle: quality starts in the vineyard. We do our best to preserve it by our gentle technique in the cellar. This way we create both authentic and outstanding wines." Over the years team E&R has visited the family many times and the wines from the Franz Gojer winery represent an impressive triumvirate: gracious and lovely people, extra special terroir and great, affordable wines. Here are the three new ones.
WINES OF TRANSCENDENT BEAUTY:
~FRANZ & FLORIAN GOJER~
"Glogglhof" is the winery and home of the Gojer family- Franz and Maria Luise, and their son Florian. The estate dates all the way back to the 1300's, and even at that, still a few centuries after, vineyards were known to be there. In this case "there" is Santa Maddalena, one of the most famous wine villages in Alto-Adige. Like Barolo, the famed "St. Magdalener" reds take their name from the village. The tiny enclave itself - Santa Maddalena - looks down on Bolzano to its southwest, and is also celebrated for its beacon-like church dating from 1295.
Gojer vines: the hill and church of Santa Maddalena.
(Our first visit and updates - January, 2016) Walking in the picturesque Santa Maddalena vineyard with Florian in the bright January sunshine, he explained his steeply rolling vineyard was formed by glaciers. At this higher altitude, it may surprise one to learn that their topsoil - sitting above a foundation of granite and gneiss - is composed in large part of sand! Interspersed atop and below, and spread out here and there, are veins of volcanic material locally called "porphyry": all in all, the small, well-aerated area is a miniature vinous treasure. Your taste buds will verify- we guarantee it.
This small zone in the high hills is one of two extraordinary patches in the world famous for the grape called Vernatsch (aka Schiava, and also called Trollinger). The immense talent of the family adds to the terroir, with a gorgeous combination of climate, altitude, exposure and singular soil: all keys to help create what we think are among the elite wines of St. Magdalener.
While the Santa Maddalena vineyards run on the west side of the Autostrada along the north-south valley of the Isarco River, the Gojer's also own and farm small vineyards further up north on the considerably higher eastern slopes, where the vineyards rise to 600 meters or more. The view, which Florian pointed out across the vale to the northeast where these other vineyards are, was downright stunning. The area- Karneid - is where the family produce tiny amounts of sterling white wines and a very "cool" red using 100% Vernatsch.
Click to enlarge
In total, Franz and Florian produce only about 3600 cases a year. As part of our "almost direct imports" work, these compelling wines represent exceptional value. Sadly, our supply is modest.
Some drinkers most likely to enjoy these wines are also those least likely to try them.
(We've learned from our constant exploring that most wine lovers stay firmly in their comfort zone! In our proactive opinion, a single comfort zone is too small to fully enjoy wine! If these less than household (though classic) grape names like Vernatsch or Lagrein were simply tasted, wine satisfaction would go seismic. We hope you give them a shot! A rose by any other name...)
(E)
GOJER’S NEWEST WINES
ST. MAGDALENER, WEISSBURGUNDER & LAGREIN
Click on each wine for more detail.