Hofstätter – Gewürztraminer & Blauburgunder

This house is most famous for its Kolbenhof Gewürztraminer and maybe secondarily for its Pinot Noirs, or what is known as Blauburgunder in German - the normal language in the Alto Adige.

The following are results from my tasting with Markus Heinel, the Winemaker for five and a half years now. Markus is an energetic and technically enthused young man originally from Munich. He strikes me very much like a Chef in his outlook and personality.

Pinot Bianco ‘06
Flowery, fat-ish and charming. Good length of apricot fruit.
(88 points)

Gewürztraminer ‘06
Spicy and flowery. Rose and jasmine. Good acids and freshness.
(89 points)

Blauburgunder Meczan ‘05
Charming, soft, easy and fresh. A bit smokey and dark cherry fruit.
(88 points)

Blauburgunder Riserva Mazon ‘03
Rich and deeper than norm. Punchy, toasty fruit. Lacks a little acid. For early consumption.
(89 points)

Blauburgunder San Urbano ‘02
Very much like a looser knit Vougeout 1er cru ‘00. Should be feminine but pretty stunning in a few years.
(92 points)

Blauburgunder San Urbano ‘00 (unreleased) shriveled grapes...
Very Martinelli. Sharp balsamic nose. Huge body and texture for pinot. (91 points)

Blauburgunder San Urbano ‘00 (normal release) Developing complex aromas. Black fresh cherry and crisp minerality that sings with air. Medium to full body but lacey texture (read: not dense). Long finish. (90 points)

Blauburgunder San Urbano ‘98
Very exotic and charming and also meaty nose. Classic Vosne Romanee. A little more alcohol than the material can handle. Will last another 5-7 years pretty easily.
(93 points)

Blauburgunder San Urbano ‘94
Great color for its age. Lots of stemmy tannin. Rich super old school texture. Good freshness. May never die...(89+? Points)

Lagrein ‘06
Punchy, fruity. Simple. Good color.
(86 points)

Lagrein Steinraffler Riserva ‘02
Sweet finishing but a bit light. Expressive. Mineral mossy finish.
(88 points)