James Suckling 92
"The bright nose of fresh mint and green apple pulls you into this medium-bodied dry white that has a fascinating interplay of lively acidity, lively fruit and discreet tannins. Very refreshing, without being tart. Drink now."

The Wine
100 Sylvaner from 1.3ha of vineyards
650m above sea level
Maceration with the skins for 8-10 hours
Fermentation in stainless steel vessels
Matures 80 in steel and 20 in large oak casks, remaining for 6 months on the lees before release
1200 cases produced annually

The Estate
Weingut Kfererhof is one of Italys smallest and best white wine producers. Just about any grape variety owner Gnther Kerschbaumer touches turns to gold. Over the years, he has fashioned remarkably delicious and age worthy wines from the likes of Sylvaner, Riesling, Kerner, Mller-Thurgau and other varietiesIan dAgata, Vinous

Acquired and managed by the Kerschbaumer family since 1940, the Kofererhof estate has existed in southern Tyrol, a region that more Austrian in spirit than it is Italian, for over 850 years. In 1995, the winery started to bottle its own wines after having sold its fruit for years. Kofererhofs few hectares of vines are located at the base of the Dolomite mountains between 700 and 800 meters above sea level. At this high altitude, the variation in temperatures from day to night is ideal, and the carefully tended, high-density vineyards yield intensely fragrant, concentrated and well-balanced wines. All grapes are harvested by hand, and attention to detail is paramount in this limited production winery. Farming practices are currently of low environmental impact but tend toward organic. Indigenous yeasts are used, except in the rare instance of a particularly challenging vintage. All wines are fermented and aged in temperature-controlled tanks with the exception of the Pinot Grigio, which is partially aged in large casks of Acacia wood. Total production for the estate is only around 3,500 cases of wine per year! The quality of these wines raises the bar for all whites from Alto Adige.

Vineyard Practices: Kofererhof is a practicing organic winery. Integrated insect and disease control is followed. The Alto Adige region supports the growers with consultants and technical staff for the monitoring of insects and diseases. The region frowns on the use of harmful products as the vineyards are located near villages and towns. To curb fungus, growers use sulfur and copper-based products. Only organic fertilizers and manure are used and cover crops between the rows of vines add additional nutrients (in the new vineyards low growing crops are sown). When needed, the soil is tilled with manure and cut up plant substance. Very low doses of added SO2 in the wines help preserve them.

Farming Practice:Practicing Organic