MCF Rare Wine
Cool Your Summer Down
The last time I wrote about the wines of Franz Gojer, it was just about a year ago, and I was discussing his Rosé of Vernatsch, with a whole discussion about the term ‘cool’, and how it relates to wine.
(I thought it was one of my better ones. Click HERE to read it.)
We had a US exclusive on the Rosé, and, as often happens, it sold out and people kept coming back for it, even though we sadly couldn't get any more.
The bad news on that front is that Gojer didn’t send any Rosé our way this year, but the good news is that I went deep on his other wines, so that we could keep the ‘coolness’ of Gojer’s style going strong.
As a region, Alto Adige is most well-known for its white wines, and Franz Gojer does wonderful work on that front with his Sauvignon and Kerner from the Karneid vineyard. These are wonderfully nervous, high-toned and intensely focused examples that rival any whites from the area.
The Sauvignon exhibits all of the aromatics, subtly savory/herbaceous nuance, and angular structure that you expect from top-notch Adige Sauvignon, but with an extra level of refinement and elegance.
The Kerner, with its insanely floral profile that’s draped over a frame of intensely mineral frame and wonderfully bitter and palate cleansing finish is easily one of, if not the, best example of this vastly under appreciated wine of the market. If you were ever drinking a super-dry Grüner Veltliner and said to yourself, ‘If only this were way more flowery, so as to beautifully compliment this selection of mountain cheeses’, then your wishes have come true.
As a producer, though, Gojer is much more well-known for his racy, chiseled, kaleidoscopic red wines made of Vernatsch (Schiava) and Lagrein.
They take all of those fantastic herbaceous/minty/racy 'cool' elements I was going on about with regard to the Rosé and red-ifies them.
(Yes, red-ify...)
Because, both the Vernatsch Alte Reben and the Santa Magdalenner Classico are all about the red fruits...blazingly bright, aerodynamic, highly aromatic fruits, interlaced with all manner of zippy, spicy, mountain-y nuance.
The Vernatsch Alte Reben, made of 100% Schiava, is the racier of the two, and much lighter in color, weight and texture. It borders on the ‘dark rose’ end of the spectrum, allowing all beautifully prickly acidity and zippy spice to shine freely.
The Santa Magdalener Classico, on the other hand, with 5% of Lagrein, has a bit more weight and a much riper texture, with the spice turned up a few notches higher. Despite the uptick in texture and weight, though, we’re still talking about a lithe, juicy, highly-refreshing red.
All four of these wines personify everything we love about high-altitude/cool climate wines and, even though they’re plenty appropriate for cold weather fare, they’re oh-so good at cooling down your Summer meals - both literally (because you’ll wanna serve them all with varying degrees of a chill) and figuratively, as in all that lofty, invigorating, mountain-y character that I was droning on about last Summer.
Cool it out, man...
You may order by emailing info@mcf-rarewine.com or calling 212.255.8870.
Matt Franco
MCF Rare Wine, Ltd
