Producer notes from Skurnik Wines:

"'Weingut Köfererhof is one of Italy’s smallest and best white wine producers. Just about any grape variety owner Günther Kerschbaumer touches turns to gold. Over the years, he has fashioned remarkably delicious and age worthy wines from the likes of Sylvaner, Riesling, Kerner, Müller-Thurgau and other varieties'—Ian d’Agata, Vinous

Acquired and managed by the Kerschbaumer family since 1940, the Köfererhof estate has existed in southern Tyrol – a region that is more Austrian in spirit than it is Italian – for over 850 years. In 1995, the winery started to bottle its own wines after having sold its fruit for years. Köfererhof’s few hectares of vines are located at the base of the Dolomite mountains between 700 and 800 meters above sea level. At this high altitude, the variation in temperatures from day to night is ideal, and the carefully tended, high-density vineyards yield intensely fragrant, concentrated and well-balanced wines. All grapes are harvested by hand, and attention to detail is paramount in this limited production winery. Farming practices are currently low environmental impact but tend toward organic. Indigenous yeasts are used, except in the rare instance of a particularly challenging vintage. All wines are fermented and aged in temperature-controlled tanks with the exception of the Pinot Grigio and Sylvaner ‘R’, which is partially aged in large casks of Acacia wood. Total production for the estate is only around 3,500 cases of wine per year! The quality of these wines raises the bar for all whites from Alto Adige."

About the cuvee:

100% Pinot Grigio grown on gravelly soils of limestone origin at 650 meters. Following temperature controlled fermentation, the wine is (uniquely, for Kofererhof) raised in a mixture of 3,000 liter neutral Acacia casks and stainless steel for six months. This encourages the wine to develop in a richer, more full-bodied style of Pinot Grigio that is more reminiscent of Alsace than the Veneto. 

Flor impressions:

A nose of ripe orchard fruits - bosc pear and golden apple - accented by acacia flowers. Prominent flavors of yellow-fleshed, juicy pineapple saturate the palate. Relatively full-bodied, yet manages to maintain an air of delicacy, aided by its sufficient acidity. This is serious, and seriously delicious, Pinot Grigio!

-GG, tasted 7/24/24