Pinot Nero Alto Adige DOC “Schweizer” 2020 – Franz Haas

The grapes to produce the Pinot Nero “Schweizer” Franz Haas  were vinified in open-top, stainless-steel tanks. During fermentation, the cap was frequently punched down and pumped over. These techniques allowed for maximum colour and fragrance extraction from the skins. At the end of the fermentation, the wine was transferred to barriques for malolactic fermentation and aged in barrel for 12 months. The wine was then aged for another year in bottle before release.

Franz Haas’ Pinot Nero grows on the hills of Mazzon, Pinzano, Gleno and Montagna, in areas that are carefully selected for their microclimate. Over the years they have proved to be ideal for the production of this great wine. The individual vineyards are situated at altitudes varying between 350-700 metres above sea level, including a great variety of soils: sand, chalk and gravel. Thanks to the density of planting, between 8,000-12,000 vines per hectare, the grapes produced are of the highest quality. The selection of very low yielding clones also contributes to stable and continuous quality development over the years.

The Haas family has been growing grapes in Montagna in the province of Bolzano for generations. However, it was only with Franz, the current proprietor, that they began to produce and bottle quality wines. Franz studied at Geisenheim in Germany before working as a broker of Italian wines in the German market. After several years, he took over the running of the family business. Franz Haas goes to tremendous lengths to grow quality grapes and strives to preserve the flavours of the fruit during winemaking. As a result, the wines that he produces are infused with great character, with purity and balance on the palate. To maintain the aromatic quality of his wines, Franz Haas has bottled his entire production under screwcap from the 2018 vintage onwards. A revolutionary choice, he is one of the first Italian wine producers to have done so.