Zöhlhof ‘Dionysos’ Gewürztraminer
Just outside a tiny village called Feldburns in northern Italy is a magical place called Zöhlhof farm. Vineyards and orchards are surrounded by forest and at 600-meters (approximately 2000-feet) above sea level, these picturesque slopes to the west of the Isarco valley produce truly incredible fruit! There is an old customs post from Roman times here to give us an idea of the age of this place ~ the farm itself is located on a steep slope on the west side of the Eisack Valley in the face of the morning sun.
The family believes in honoring tradition while honoring creative expression so art is a big part of the world here : wines are made traditionally (handpicked, aged with some skin contact, native yeast only, inert vessels to allow true expression - all the things we love in the wines at Molly’s & MoRA)
The vineyards are primarily traditional varietals such as Muller Thurgau, Gewürztraminer and Sylvaner, as well as Blauer Portugieser. The grapes thrive in sandy, gravel soils with large calcium carbonate deposits known here as Klausit and all are grown biodynamically.
The ‘Dionysos’ Gewürztraminer grapes are harvested by hand in mid-September. Fermented spontaneously with skin maceration for a few days, this is definitely an “orange” wine in color. Maturation occurs in completely neutral wooden barrels to allow some oxygen exchange which keeps reductive notes away and truly allows an stunningly gorgeous expression of this often misunderstood grape.
With a quick swirl in the glass, ripe tropical fruit and strong aromatic notes of wild roses & mountain herbs jump out of the glass. TBH, it gave me pause with its heady perfume! There is a slightly greenish-yellow hue with a distinctly copper shimmer. I don’t normally swirl and sniff while admiring the color for long - always eager to get to the tasting - but in this case, I really did swirl, sniff, admire and repeat!
First sip was a big surprise for me - it was absolutely stunning! The nose matches the palate but the dried fruit and spice with hints of bright acidity balance the floral, herby vibe! Full-bodied and rich in texture with a brightness I did not expect. Fresh out of the fridge, the acidity was more pronounced; allowed to warm slightly, the acidity faded a bit and the rich, spicy flavors of Gewürztraminer shone through!
It’s a bummer that Gewürztraminer gets a bad rap - I think it is because it is often made poorly allowing the perfume notes to become too overripe. Yet when made well, it can be a stunning wine. While it is probably obvious since I’m crushing on it, this one is made exquisitely well! As one recent customer said “I never thought I’d like, let alone buy a Gewürztraminer but I’ll take two”.
