Pinot Nero Alto Adige DOC 2017 – Franz Haas

To produce the Pinot Nero Alto Adige DOC Franz Haas fermentation took place in open top, stainless-steel tanks with a long maceration and frequent punching down of the cap. This enabled the extraction of colour and fragrances from the skins. Ageing took place in small oak barriques for one year, followed by five to ten months in bottle before release.

Grapes for the Pinot Nero are grown on the slopes of Pinzano and Gleno in the Montagna area and in Mazzon in the municipality of Egna. The three different vineyard sites are all south-west facing and range from 350-900 metres in altitude. Soils are extremely varied within this small area, ranging from clay in one vineyard to sand, limestone or gravel in a neighbouring one. Density of planting is between 8,000-12,500 vines per hectare. Low yielding clones of Pinot Nero have been selected for this wine.

The Haas family has been growing grapes in Montagna in the province of Bolzano for generations. However, it was only with Franz, the current proprietor, that they began to produce and bottle quality wines. Franz studied at Geisenheim in Germany before working as a broker of Italian wines in the German market. After several years, he took over the running of the family business. Franz Haas goes to tremendous lengths to grow quality grapes and strives to preserve the flavours of the fruit during winemaking. As a result, the wines that he produces are infused with great character, with purity and balance on the palate. To maintain the aromatic quality of his wines, Franz Haas has bottled his entire production under screwcap from the 2018 vintage onwards. A revolutionary choice, he is one of the first Italian wine producers to have done so.