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On 18 and 19 May, the 8th Pinot Noir Days South Tyrol took place in Neumarkt and Montan. Peter Dipoli, a knowledgeable and busy winemaker, fruit grower and wine merchant in Neumarkt, created this event eight years ago. It is no coincidence that it takes place in South Tyrol, because here the variety, which is as difficult as it is noble, has been exposed and cultivated on a larger scale since the middle of the 19th century. Today, the Pinot Noir vineyards cover an area of 350 ha.

The South Tyrolean Pinot Noir Days event, open to all wine lovers, offered the opportunity to taste a wide selection of Pinot Noirs from the most diverse wine-growing regions of Italy and then to compare them with a knowledgeably assembled selection of Pinot Noirs from all over the world. As an introduction, Professor Attilio Scienza from the University of Milan gave a captivating lecture on this interesting variety, after which wine lovers and experts had two days to deepen their knowledge of Pinot Noir through tastings and expert discussions.

A few years ago, the initiators and organisers decided to launch a national Pinot Noir competition to further enhance the value of the Pinot Noir Days. As one of the jurors, I can only congratulate those responsible for the professionalism with regard to the tasting method and tasting room, as well as the perfect organisation

For the 5th edition of the national competition, 224 wineries, 78 from South Tyrol and 146 from the rest of Italy, were contacted, 61 of which submitted their wines to the rigorous tasting competition. At the beginning of April, a jury of 19 nationally and internationally renowned journalists, oenologists, merchants and winegrowers, under the organisational direction of Dipl. Ing. Armin Kobler (head of the cellar management section), tested and evaluated the individual Pinot Noirs for their characteristics at the experimental centre in Laimburg. Of the 61 samples submitted, 33 came from South Tyrol and 28 from other Italian growing regions. As in previous years, it became apparent that, on the whole, South Tyrolean Burgundies are ahead in Italy. Some of them can definitely compete with well-known wines from great sites in the Pinot world

However, my personal notes also show that the qualities were already very different, even from a vintage as warm as 2003. Certainly, as already mentioned above, the Pinot Noir variety (Blauburgunder, Blauer Spätburgunder, Pinot Nero etc.) is one of the most difficult in the vineyard and cellar. Nevertheless, one would expect a greater density in development and varietal character. This is not the case, but a certain tendency towards ever better qualities is already visible. Tradition also plays a role here, because until not so long ago, "light" wines were more in demand, whether they really were or not. For a long time, the price was also not allowed to exceed a certain level, which of course could only be met through yields. It is only in the last 15 years that this has increasingly changed, thanks to the uncompromising quality work of some (more and more) winegrowers and, not to be forgotten here, also several excellent cooperatives, which is quite unique in this form worldwide

South Tyrol - Laimburg experimental centre

With the progressive specialisation of the wine world and the rapidly increasing number of knowledgeable wine lovers, Pinot Noir is now more and more in demand as a storable, subtle, yet powerful and complex single vineyard with a recognisable origin. As far as ageing is concerned, two major directions could be discerned at this specialist tasting: that of the increasingly skilful and massive use of barrique (actually, it should be a pièce), i.e. the chocolatey, soft, globalising line, and that of the purist "terroirists", emphasising origin and variety, with sometimes really difficult, often highly interesting wines. And as it is in times of change, quite a few wines still wandered somewhat lost between these poles

As far as the ratings are concerned, any observer of the list will be struck by the extremely restrictive scoring. When was the last time there was a clear winner with 82 points? But this is the result of the tasting by the 19 jurors. I would not have thought that so many colleagues have already returned to realistic scores, in view of the increasingly gigantomaniac figures in so many well-known publications. Sure, it's different whether you can evaluate practically anonymously in a tasting commission or whether you have to keep up the circulation of a magazine. The people want blood, i.e. as many wines as possible on 100 points, and for many winemakers, too, there seems to be no life below 90 points. In this respect, this competition sent a clear signal in the direction of reality and truthfulness towards the amateur, i.e. the customer, even if I myself saw one or two wines a little higher. The critical and sometimes criticised realistic evaluation in our Wein-Plus wine guides was once again confirmed by this competition

The interest of the public at the South Tyrolean Pinot Noir Days was not diminished by the unusual ratings for some, on the contrary. Lively interest and many interesting discussions testified to the vitality of the event, which should already make it a fixed point in next year's wine calendar

But before that, you should take your time between 11 and 18 November. That's when the 2nd Riesling Days(http://www.rieslingtage.it/) will take place, also in South Tyrol - more precisely in Naturns in the Vinschgau Valley, and Marcus Hofschuster will be happy to report on this as one of the jurors.

The results of the 5th South Tyrolean Pinot Noir competition:

Rank Points Company and wine designation1
82 Terlan Winery Südt. Pinot Noir
DOC Montigl Riserva2
79 Winery Gottardi Süd
t.
Pinot Noir
DOC Mazzon2
79 Tiefenbrunner Südt

.

Pinot Noir
DOC Linticlarus Riserva2
79 Stroblhof Süd
t.
Pinot Noir
DOC Riserva3
78 Elena Walch Südt

.

Pinot Noir
DOC Ludwig3
78 Weingut Unterortl Süd

t.

Pinot Noir
DOC Castel Juval3
78 Winery Kettmair Süd
t.
Pinot Noir
DOC Reinerhof3
78 Ansitz Pfitscher
Südt.
Pinot Noir
DOC Matan4
77 Castelfeder Süd
t.
Pinot Noir
DOC Burgum Novum5
76 Klosterkellerei Muri Gries Süd
t.
Pinot Noir
DOC Riserva5
76 Niedermayr Girlan Süd
t.
Pinot Noir
DOC Riserva6
75 Fattoria Mancini Pinot Nero
DOC Colli Pesaresi Focara6
75 Haderburg Südt. Pinot Noir
DOC Hausmannhof6
75 H. Lun Weink. Südt. Pinot Noir
DOC Sandbichler Riserva6
75 Ferruccio Carlotto Süd
t.
Pinot Noir
DOC Filari di Mazzón6
75 K.G. St. Pauls Südt. Pinot Noir
DOC DiVinus6
75 Laimburg Südt. Pinot Noir
DOC Selyét7
74 Valle di Cembra Pinot Nero
DOC Trentino Vigna di Saosent7
74 Grosjean Pinot Nero
DOC Vallée d'Aoste7
74 Manincor Südt. Pinot Noir
DOC Mason7
74 Cave des onze communes Pinot Nero
DOC Vallée d'Aoste8
73 Cantina Toblino Pinot Nero
DOC Trentino8
73 Cantina Tramin Südt. Pinot Noir
DOC Schiessstand8
73 Cantina St

.

Michael Eppan Südt. Bl.burg.
DOC Sanct Valentin8
73 Fontana Graziano Pinot Nero
DOC Trentino9
72 Franz Haas Südt. Pinot Noir
DOC Schweizer9
72 Schreckbichl Winery Südt. Bl.burg.
DOC St. Daniel Riserva9
72 Le due Terre Pinot Nero
DOC Colli orientali del Friuli9
72 Maso Poli Pinot Nero
DOC Trentino Superiore9
72 Dalzocchio Elisabetta Pinot Nero
DOC Trentino Riserva9
72 Kellerei Kössler Südt. Pinot Noir
DOC10
71 Winery Brunnenhof Mazzon Süd

t.

Pinot Noir
DOC Riserva10
71 Hofkellerei W. & G. Walch Tramin South. Pinot Noir.
DOC


































































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