2010 Pinot Nero Barthenau Vigna S. Urbano

The historic Hofstatter winery is located in the southern Alto Adige town of Tramin, perched high up in the hills, overlooking the Adige river valley. However, their vineyards can be found on both sides of the valley, many of which are considered Grand Crus of the region. While the entry-level lineup of the estate, as well as the Lagrein, are most likely the wines that consumers are first introduced to here, it really pays to look deeper at their selection of single-vineyard Pinot Noirs as well as the Gewürztraminer Vigna Kolbenhof. Many producers of the region are happy to have parcels within the top Pinot Noir crus of the valley and tend to focus on ripeness and oak to make an impression. However, at Hofstatter, it’s all about purity of fruit and terroir. A good comparison would be to consider the trends in a region like Sonoma in the early 2000s versus today. These wines are like night and day compared to the majority being produced in the area. As for the Gewürztraminer, a bottle of the 1992 that Martin Foradori pulled from the winery cellar did away with any doubts that I had about this wine's ability to age.