Caroline 2020

The Pranzegg winery is named after the estate where Martin Gojer has been producing his wines since 2009 as a reflection of their origin, the vintage and the family's way of life. Above the Bolzano valley basin, Gojer's vineyards are farmed biodynamically by hand, and in the cellar, too, less is more Long fermentation and long maturation periods on the full lees with the addition of only small amounts of sulphur characterise the wines, which are always bottled unfined and unfiltered.

The proportions of the varieties used in the Cuvée Caroline vary from year to year and come from a mixed white set consisting of Sauvignon, Chardonnay as well as Viognier and Manzoni bianco. The grapes grow at an altitude of a good 400 metres above sea level, were harvested by hand and then macerated together and lay on their skins for six days with a proportion of around 60% combs. After racking, the Caroline went into the barrels where it lay on its full lees for a year before being put into concrete for another eleven months before the new harvest.

Old gold with old gold reflections and silky sheen.

At first, the 2020 Caroline von Pranzegg is still restrained on the nose. It quietly tells of the ageing, the long yeast storage and the maceration on the skins, which sometimes reminds one a little of tea. You have to listen carefully, then she begins to tell of herbs, tincture, camomile, hay flowers and nettles. Then it gets spicy, notes of white pepper alternate with linseed oil and orange peel. What may sound crude in detail is in constant flux and over time blends into a large, aromatic whole with great calm and complexity.

The matrix of the Caroline is formatted directly on the palate. With firm tannins, it is controlled by the animatingly fine phenolic and gives the impression that the wine could also be chewed. No unnecessary fruit fiddling distracts from essential structural issues like haptics, extract and texture. Only the peel of the peach, the stone of the apricot, the essence of the wine oscillates around the mouthfeel, which reminds one of the most fine-grained of all sandpapers and roughens the palate in such a perfidious way that one can only experience relief by continuously pouring more. As always, probably drunk very quickly.