Dornach 'Louis 59' 2024 Pinot Nero Alto Adige

750ml bottle

10% abv

Brambly berry nose and palate. Medium bodied despite low alcohol, with a hint of dark earth on the long, energetic finish. Highly enjoyable. Best served with a chill.

100% Pinot Nero

Terraced vineyards above Salorno (Salurn) in the Bassa Atesina (Unterland), the southernmost and warmest subzone of Alto Adige, at the point where the valley narrows toward Trentino. Calcareous soils over mineral-rich subsoil. Demeter-certified biodynamic and Bioland-certified organic. The estate has been farmed by the same family since 1836, with the first documented reference to the Dornachhof site dating to 1288.

Short maceration on skins (2 days for the 2022, described as "a few days" for 2024). Spontaneous fermentation. Aged one year in large neutral wood (Slavonian oak botti). Bottled unfiltered. The number in the wine's name (59) reflects the days elapsed from harvest to bottling, a figure that changes each vintage.

Tenuta Ansitz-Dornach is farmed by Patrick Uccelli, his wife Karoline, and their children on terraced vineyard land that has been in family hands since 1836. Patrick began the conversion to biodynamics in 2008, achieving Demeter certification in 2011 and simultaneous Bioland organic certification. The farm operates as a closed ecosystem, with grapes, vegetables, grains, bees, and livestock coexisting on the property. Patrick applies the biodynamic preparations (horn manure, horn silica) by hand on foot, avoiding mechanical spraying, and produces the preparations collectively with a group of other Alto Adige biodynamic producers. The estate also cultivates disease-resistant varieties (Solaris, Bronner, Regent, Cabernet Blanc) alongside the traditional Pinot Bianco and Pinot Nero.

The Louis series (named for the family) is the estate's entry-level, early-drinking range, designed around minimal extraction, low alcohol, and immediate accessibility. The 2024, at 10%, sits at the extreme light end of the red wine spectrum and is in practice closer to a chilled light red in the tradition of carbonic-adjacent, whole-cluster styles from Beaujolais or Jura than to a conventional Alto Adige Pinot Nero. At this price and this weight it is a versatile, low-stakes bottle for everyday use.