about kuenhof:

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Kuenhof, owned by the Pliger family, is one of the best white wine estates in Italy. Their steep, stony vineyards are in the part of the Alto Adige/South Tyrol called the Valle Isarco (or Eisacktal), not far from the border with Austria. They grow Sylvaner, Grüner Veltliner and Riesling organically, and their wines show an almost electric mineral character. If the duty of a great wine is to be distinctive, these wines stand out like beacons -- great terroir, careful grape-growing, brilliant winemaking, extraordinary wines.

Most of the wine-growing in the area known as the Alto Adige (also known as ‘Südtirol’ in the German spoken by the locals) is along the Strada del Vino, just south of the city of Bolzano. The Eisacktal is a separate, very small appellation about half an hour north-east of Bolzano, on the way to the Brenner pass and Austria. The climate is warmer than you would expect, mitigated by the high altitude of most of the vineyards (in the case of Kuenhof, between 1,800 and 2,900 feet above sea level). 

The Pligers now farm four different vineyards, with a range of soil types, including schist, quartz phyllite, lots of stones, and morainic layers of crushed rock. Their newest vineyard is based on andesite, a volcanic rock. Many of the vineyards are terraced and steep. These soil types are  associated with wine regions in Germany and Austria, rather than Italy; quartz phyllite, for example, is typical in the Pfalz region of Germany. The grape varieties grown here - Sylvaner, Riesling, and Grüner Veltliner - are also more typical of Germany or Austria. The altitude ranges from 550 meters to almost 900 meters above sea level; this ensures a high variation in temperature between day and night, which is good for retention of acidity. 

The ‘Kuenhof' itself is a farmhouse that dates from the 12th century. Just south of the town of Brixen/Bressanone, it was for centuries owned by the Bishop of Bressanone, and then for the last 200 years it has been in the family of the current owners. Until 1989 the grapes were taken to the Abbazia di Novacella, in nearby Neustift. In 1990 the Pligers started making their own wines in the cellar under the farmhouse.

The Pligers farm organically, tending towards a biodynamic approach but not certified. The grapes are picked in October, sometimes as late as the end of October. After a soft pressing, the wines are fermented in stainless steel using a historic, neutral, selected yeast (taking between a month and four months to finish the fermentation), aged on the fine lees in stainless steel and acacia-wood (30%) vessels, and bottled shortly before the following harvest. All the wines are bottled under screw-cap, which means that each bottle will taste the way the winemaker intended. Kuenhof switched to screw-caps more than ten years ago, and their earliest bottlings are showing perfectly now. We love screw-caps for fine wine!

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the wines:

Grüner veltliner

An Austrian specialty that makes lovely wine here on the Italian border with Austria. The clones come from the Wachau region. [The appellation 'Veltliner' here can in fact include Roter (Red) Veltliner, or a blend of the two, but this is all Grüner.] This variety shows a range of different flavors depending on where it's grown. The Pliger's bottling is in between the Riesling and the Sylvaner in weight, and it is silky and elegant on the palate with a very attractive balance between acidity and fruit flavors. The flavors are hard to describe, as is so often the case with very good wine, but include hints of peach, melon, and herbs. Intriguing and very long. (It has been suggested that the name Veltliner originally came from the Valtellina, not far from the Alto Adige.) Ages very well, particularly under screw-cap.

Sylvaner

An old variety that may have originated in Austria. It is undergoing a resurgence in Germany, and makes brilliant wines here in the Eisacktal, where it has grown for more than a century. My early experiences with Sylvaner were with examples from Alsace, which are for the most part pleasant but not exciting wines; Kuenhof’s fine version is closer to the excellent wines grown in the German region of Franconia. These clones come from Franconia. 

The wine is medium to full-bodied, complex in aroma and flavor (pit-fruit, spices, hints of pea shoot), and shows electric liveliness on the palate, as well as a very distinctive silky texture. Ages very well, particularly under screw-cap.

Riesling

The Pliger’s Riesling vines were brought in from France, Germany and other producers in the Alto Adige. Riesling is now making a name for itself in Italy, and Pliger's 'Kaiton' bottling is one of the best. Lime-peel, flowers, petrol and an almost electric mineral character make this wine very exciting to drink; I am reminded of licking a nine-volt battery as a dare when I was younger. Bright balance of acidity and fruit. The name Kaiton is of Celtic origin, and was the name for the area around the estate. Ages very well, particularly under screw-cap.

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more information:

Cellar Video Tour with Alto Adige’s ‘Gang of Four’