Franz Gojer "St. Magdalener Classico" 2023 Bolzano, Südtirol

750ml bottle

13% abv

Red fruits, tea-tannins, distinct herbal notes, long finish.

Region: Alto Adige, Italy

Appellation: St Magdalener DOC

Grapes: 95% Vernatsch (Schiava, Trollinger), 5% Lagrein

Farming: Sustainable

Age of vines: Planted between 1970 and 2010

Elevation, Aspect, & Soil Type: 280-500 M, SW Facing, Glacial Moraine/Porphyr

Typical Harvest Time: End of September

Maceration & Fermentation: 12 days maceration, controlled low temperature fermentation in stainless steel with selected yeasts

Aging: Aged in stainless steel for 8 months

Finishing: Sterile Filtered

Production: 16,000 bottles annually

Gojer's estate, Glögglhof, is right in the middle of the St. Magdalena hill, a perfect amphitheater just North-East of the city of Bolzano. Franz, the 5th generation to make wine at Glögglhof, is one of the 'gang of four,' a group of fine small producers from the Alto Adige who share a philosophy of winemaking: very expressive, very typical, very well-made wines.

St Magdalener is this is the best-known Schiava appellation, and Gojer is the best producer. Usually blended with 5-10% Lagrein, Gojer’s Grapes are grown in traditional pergolas and fermented together. Shows aromas of red fruits, tea-tannins, distinct herbal notes and long finish. Delicious with roasted meats and root vegetables, grilled salmon, and rich pasta dishes.

Franz Gojer is one of the 'gang of four,' a group of fine small producers from the Alto Adige, the others being Andreas Widmann, Ignaz Niedrist, and Peter Pliger from Kuenhof. They have exhibited at Vinitaly together for many years, and they share a philosophy of winemaking: very expressive, very typical, very well-made wines.

Gojer's estate, Glögglhof, is right in the middle of the St. Magdalena hill, a perfect amphitheater just North-East of the city of Bolzano; this is the best-known Schiava appellation, and Gojer is in my view the best producer. We import Schiava* from four different producers already, and I am delighted to add Franz Gojer's superb examples of the variety to our list. Schiava shows fruit flavors of wild strawberry, and sometimes pomegranate, with balancing notes of herbs and tea-like fine tannins. These wines are excellent with cured pork, or any pork dish, for that matter, as well as roast chicken, even salmon. (St. Magdalena is usually blended with 5-10% Lagrein, another grape indigenous to this region.)

Gojer’s St. Magdalener Classico is about 95% Schiava and 5% Lagrein, grown in the middle of the St. Magdalener hill. Gojer also makes a St. Magdalener bottling called ‘Vigna Rondell’. Rondell is about 93% Schiava and 7% Lagrein, from the best single site on Gojer's property. This is the best single bottling of St. Magdalener I've tasted from any producer, showing a little more tannin than the regular bottling but still very drinkable. Red fruits, tea-tannins, distinct herbal notes, long, delicious. I'll be drinking quite a bit of this with roast chicken, grilled salmon, and pizza. 

Franz's son Florian did an apprenticeship with Jim Clendenen in Santa Barbara and is now working with his father at Glögglhof. Franz and Florian also bought a high-altitude vineyard (600m/2,000 feet above sea-level) at Karneid on the other side of the valley from their winery, where they have planted Weissburgunder, Kerner and Sauvignon. There was a little old-vine Vernatsch (see note below) planted there, too, which is very unusual at this altitude.

Kerner is a cross between Riesling and Schiava. Gojer’s Kerner is very aromatic, with a distinctive pear-drop nose, and flower notes reminiscent of Riesling. Very fresh acidity, bone dry, I would drink this as a dry aperitif or with all sorts of appetizers.

The Sauvignon shows classic Alto Adige flavors. A combination of grapefruit, white peach, and distinct green herbal flavors. Terrific crisp acidity but very mouth filling too. Excellent seafood wine. This region is one of the world's best places for the Sauvignon grape, and this is a perfect example.

Alte Reben means ‘old vines’, and Gojer’s Vernatsch vines at Karneid are indeed very old vines. They were planted before their ownership of the site. Entirely Vernatsch, unlike the wines from St. Magdalener, and shows classic pomegranate/herbal flavor.

* Schiava, which is the Italian for 'slave,' presumably from the high yields that the vines can carry, is the Italian name for this variety, but the producers usually use their local name, Vernatsch. The German name for the grape is Trollinger, which is a corruption of 'Tyrolinger,' meaning 'from the Tyrol,' confirming that the variety is indigenous to the area.