GIRLAN ESTATE BOOK
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GIRLAN A REVERED PRODUCER OF PRECISE AND CLEAN TERROIRFOCUSED PINOT NOIR AND CHARDONNAY WINES IN ITALY’S NORTHERNMOST REGION. Celebrating 100 years in 2023, Cantina Girlan produces wines of clear distinction, specializing in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Located on the foothills of the Dolomites, on the border of Italy and Austria, Alto Agide is an exceptional terroir for winegrowing; high elevations, varied soils, and plenty of sun create wines of depth and tension. Cantina Girlan makes the most of this unique place; the winery doesn’t follow trends or emulate wines of other regions. There is confidence to its winemaking that is rooted in the region, its complex history, and its favorable geography.
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REGION
Alto Adige (South Tyrol)
FOUNDED
1923
CHAIR
Oscar Lorandi
WINEMAKER
Gerhard Kofler
VINEYARDS
230 ha, including crus Mazon, Girlan and Pinzon
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Oscar Lorandi, Girlan Chair 6
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HISTORY THE WINERY WAS FOUNDED IN 1923 IN A 16TH CENTURY FARMHOUSE IN THE VILLAGE OF GIRLAN, JUST NORTH OF TRENTO. TODAY THE SITE IS HOME TO A STATE-OF-THE-ART MODERN WINERY AND VISITOR CENTER. The story of Alto Adige is central to the story of Girlan. Sitting at the northernmost part of Italy on the border of Austria, Alto Adige joined Italy following World War I and, since 1948, has established itself as an autonomous region retaining much of its transnational culture. It is bilingual, with Italian and German taught at school and spoken throughout.
Historically the majority of winemaking in Alto Adige was carried out through of cooperatives, since growers typically owned small plots and it made financial sense to share the cost of production. It is a system that remains in favor today, with Cantina Girlan one of the most prominent and respected cooperatives within Alto Adige.
“People who grow up here have a strong relation to land; there is a sense of belonging and respecting tradition,” says Girlan’s chair Oscar Lorandi. “Our winemakers mostly studied in Germany but are influenced by Italy. You could say we blend German rational thinking with Italian creativity.”
“YOU COULD SAY WE BLEND GERMAN RATIONAL THINKING WITH ITALIAN CREATIVITY.”
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“PEOPLE WHO GROW UP HERE HAVE A STRONG RELATION TO LAND; THERE IS A SENSE OF BELONGING AND RESPECTING TRADITION.”
The winery is the culmination of 200 committed and passionate winegrowing families that farm 230 hectares of vineyards in the best production areas of Oltradige and Bassa Atesina. On average, each family farms just over one hectare, which allows for an incredible level of attention to viticulture. The system operates democratically: every decision is made by the cooperative and requires majority voting, including prominent families and representatives from all the smaller plots. Meanwhile, voting for the chair takes place every three years.
Among the more prominent Girlan members is the owner of the Trattmann vineyard in Mazon, Hansjörg Holzknecht, who cultivates Pinot Noir for Girlan’s top bottling. There is also Josef Niedrist - farmer of some of Girlan’s top vineyards - whose grandfather was one of the 24 winegrowers who founded Cantina Girlan (he also runs a wine nursery, providing the best quality clones and rootstock to other vineyards). And, joining the winery in 1980, Patricia von Elzenbaum is a winegrower from Mazon, where her family farms only Pinot Noir, with Girlan ‘Patricia’ Pinot Noir named in her honor.
*** Critically, Girlan’s winemaker, Gerhard Kofler, is at hand at every step. His team will professionally guide the grower, offer their expertise before, during and post growing season to ensure the grapes are of the highest quality. This will include making decisions on yields and the exact time of harvest, all of which is carried out manually at Girlan.
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Patricia von Elzenbaum, Winegrower, Mazon 9
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IMPORTED PORTFOLIO Maze Row imports six wines from Cantina Girlan, including the estate’s top bottling ‘Trattmann’ Pinot Noir Riserva, and the elegant, terroir expressive ‘Marna’ Chardonnay.
REDS
‘Trattmann’ Pinot Noir ‘Patricia’ Pinot Noir
WHITES
Highlighted in the following pages is a selection of Girlan’s top expressions. If you’re interested in exploring more of the portfolio, please use any of the QR codes to be guided to our website where you will find downloadable tech sheets, images, scores and more.
‘Marna’ Chardonnay ‘Indra’ Sauvignon Chardonnay Pinot Grigio
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‘TRATTMANN’ PINOT NOIR One of wine’s best kept secrets, Girlan’s top bottling has risen to the highest levels of acclaim within Italy. ‘Trattmann’ Pinot Noir is sourced from the Trattmann farm in Mazon and the Girlan cru. These vineyards are particularly well-suited to Pinot Noir due to their microclimatic conditions, as well as the age and quality of the vines. Trattmann farm is characterized by deep clay and limestone soils, while the Girlan cru is primarily glacial and volcanic. Since the 1980s, Girlan has increased production of Pinot Noir from 20 to the current 40 hectares, with an increasing focus on three specific crus – Girlan, Mazon and Pinzon – which produce world-class quality Pinot Noir. ‘Trattmann’ Pinot Noir Riserva achieved Gambero Rosso’s “Tre Bicchieri” status for 11 consecutive years (vintages 2010 to 2020). The Concorso Nazionale del Pinot Noir has also recognized the wine as the “Best Italian Pinot Noir” (vintages 2011, 2012, 2016 and 2020).
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GRAPES
100% Pinot Noir
VINEYARDS
Trattmann Farm (Mazon) and Girlan cru
FERMENTATION
Naturally in stainless steel; 10% whole cluster fermentation
AGEING
20 months in French and Slavonian oak of varying sizes. Bottle aged for 8 months
FINISHING
Filtered, unfined
PRODUCTION
35,000 bottles
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‘PATRICIA’ PINOT NOIR ‘Patricia’ Pinot Noir is sourced from three Pinot Noir cru areas in Alto Adige – Girlan, Mazon and Pinzon – which range from 380 to 530 meters above sea level. The soil in these three cru subzones is characterized by glacial deposits and volcanic rocks, as well as westfacing, loamy limestone soils. The wine is named after Patricia von Elzenbaum, who joined Cantina Girlan in the 1980s after assuming the role of viticulturist of her family’s Pinot Noir farm in Mazon. The first vintages of ‘Patricia’ Pinot Noir came exclusively from von Elzenbaum’s plots.
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GRAPES
100% Pinot Noir
VINEYARDS
Mazon, Girlan and Pinzon cru’s
FERMENTATION
Naturally in stainless steel
AGEING
12 months in 50 hl French and Slavonian oak casks; bottle aged for 6 months
FINISHING
Filtered, unfined
PRODUCTION
100,000 bottles
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‘MARNA’ CHARDONNAY As a natural counterpart to Girlan’s exceptional Pinot Noir, Chardonnay has increasingly shifted into focus for Girlan over the past decade. Chair Oscar Lorandi and winemaker Gerhard Kofler have worked with Girlan’s organization of family growers to identify the best sites for Chardonnay through micro vinification research. ‘Marna’ is the pinnacle of this experimentation, a selection of Girlan’s best Chardonnay parcels, with 2022 being the inaugural vintage. Of Latin origin, Marna means “from the sea,” an allusion to the soil composition in the Girlan cru, which is dominated by ancient sea deposits – gravel and loam rich in limestone.
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GRAPES
100% Chardonnay
VINEYARDS
25ha in Girlan cru
FERMENTATION
Naturally in stainless steel; whole cluster pressed
AGEING
8 months sur lie in 50% stainless, 50% large Slavonian casks; 50% malolactic
FINISHING
Filtered, fined
PRODUCTION
45,000 bottles
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‘INDRA’ SAUVIGNON The Sauvignon grape varietal has been grown in Alto Adige for more than a century. The mineral rich, glacial soils lend excellent structure with intense aromatics, minerality and persistence.
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GRAPES
100% Sauvignon Blanc
VINEYARDS
Hillsides of Girlan cru
FERMENTATION
Naturally in stainless steel; whole cluster pressed
AGEING
Stainless steel
FINISHING
Filtered, fined
PRODUCTION
90,000 bottles
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CHARDONNAY A varietal bottling of Chardonnay grown on hillside vineyards of the Girlan cru and from vineyards located in the Bassa Atesina at altitudes ranging from 450 to 500 meters. Grapes are handpicked and fermented in stainless steel with six months lees aging.
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GRAPES
100% Chardonnay
VINEYARDS
Girlan cru and Bassa Atesina
FERMENTATION
Naturally in stainless steel
AGEING
6 months sur lie
FINISHING
Fined, filtered
PRODUCTION
100,000 bottles
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PINOT GRIGIO 100 percent Pinot Grigio grown on hillside vineyards at altitudes ranging from 450 to 500 meters. Manually harvested grapes are fermented in stainless steel tanks and aged on the lees for six months.
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GRAPES
Pinot Grigio
VINEYARDS
Girlan hillside vineyards
FERMENTATION
Naturally in stainless steel
AGEING
6 months sur lie
FINISHING
Fined, filtered
PRODUCTION
140,000 bottles
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Gerhard Kofler, Winemaker 26
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