Wine Country: Italy

Wine Subregion: Trentino-Alto Adige

Franz Haas’ remarkable Alto Adige PeeGee at $20?  Hmmmm.  Hard to say no to that. 

The late Franz Haas was the seventh Franz in a long line of Haases from Montagna and was the man responsible for elevating the family business to one of the most revered in the entire Adige Valley.  Franz approached his work with an incredible meticulousness and passion and his winery has become one of the region’s benchmarks for style and quality. Now run by his wife Maria-Luisa Manna and their son Franz VIII, the winery continues to be in top form.  While justly famous for the Pinot Noir grape that Franz so passionately championed, everything made here is distinctive and delicious.  Take the Pinot Grigio.  PG is, unfortunately, associated more with the ocean of innocuous stuff made from the more fertile flatlands further south, but it’s far more than an afterthought up here in the Southern Tyrol.  At Haas, it’s painstakingly fermented 80% in stainless steel tanks while the remainder is fermented in small barrel and aged on its lees for several months before being blended before bottling.  The results are fabulous.  Here, the grapes are grown at altitude, most over 2000 feet, on soils built of clay and silt that have fallen from the soaring mountains looming above; and its alpine roots show in every aspect of the wine.  While it has that tinge of Gris di Gris to its color (a shimmering gold with slightly pink notes), there’s more yellow in it than red, and the nose is more flora-based with notes of Linden flower, dried hay, orange blossoms and almonds with a more compact, more citrusy palate that delivers very impressive depth of flavor as well as the ability to improve even six or seven years from release.  Rich enough to stand up to the very substantial cuisine of the Alto Adige region- no mean feat if you’ve ever eaten there- but light enough on its feet to satisfy those looking for a lighter, crisper, less oak-influenced wine than, say, Chardonnay, it’s wonderful to drink all on its own too.  No.  This clearly ain’t your mama’s PG.  In stock and a lot of Friday Fun!