Griesbauerhof Georg Mumelter
http://www.tirolensisarsvini.it/This small (3 ha) and family-owned estate lies in the heartland of the north Italian Alto Adige wine region, just 3 minutes from highway exit Bolzano-nord on the outskirts of the provincial capital.
In its elegant-rustic tasting room with its heavy wood furniture we were greeted by the amicable artisan winemaker Georg Mumelter (far right), not a man of show and excessive marketing, and perhaps a good example of the type of seemingly scruffy and tight-lipped but soon warming people of Alto Adige.
The wines are the range of typical Alto Adige varieties, with only one white, but showcasing the regional stars Schiava (Vernatsch in the commonly spoken German) and Lagrein.
The Pinot Grigio is a heavy weight fighter of a white wine despite the absence of oak. Clocking in at 14.5% alcohol it delivers blows of ripe pear and apple and possesses the length to go to round 12.
The two Vernatsch wines are different examples of this style of grape: the Grauvernatsch green and spicy-peppery, relatively light-bodied and perfect with the Alto Adige cheeses, salami and cured meats.
The St. Magdalener, the estate’s most produced wine, is fragrant with flowers and red berries, smooth and medium-bodied on the palate. Both are good wines for different occassions.
The IGT Isarcus was born out of a somewhat desperate experiment: to make a modern, trendy full-bodied red wine, but having only Schiava vines. Today it shares the variety makeup of the St. Magdalener, 90% Vernatsch and about 10% Lagrein. Extra late harvest and barrel aging for several months create an interesting super-Vernatsch with oak notes, green aromas and fresh fruit in excellent balance and condition. This may just be a one-of-a-kind wine in the region.
Earthy and inticing the Lagrein 2007, promising dark berries and fine marzipan notes in the future after further aging. As it is, it’s a rather closed young wine still.
The Lagrein Riserva is also very young, but even a short time in the glass shows the wine’s potential: full-bodied but perfectly velvety tannins, whose dryness promises a great future after aging in the bottle. A certain earthiness or “darkness” – for lack of a better word – reminiscent of dark chocolate or malty black Assam tea vies for the spotlight with dark berries (especially thick, pure blackberries), while a beautiful soy sauce/Asian spice component elevates the bouquet.
A picture perfect Cabernet that only suffers from being one of countless of Cabernets rounds up the producer’s line.
Then there’s the special wine Tirolensis: the 8 members of the Ars Vini Tirolensis association cooperate by contributing one barrique each of their best wine to make this cuvee. A blend of several Alto Adige grapes – Pinot Noir, Lagrein and Cabernet, it is round and soft, with many Burgundan influences; prominent berries and sour cherries, fine subtle oak notes and a very long finish elevate this very limited outing into a special category, both in quality and in price.
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