Girlan’s reds challenge Burgundy. Schiava and Pinot Noir hold their own against Clos de la Roche

by Raffaele Mosca

You can already see the difference in the vineyard: on one side, large bunches with round, plump berries hanging from an old pergola; on the other, small, fragile grapes that seem to disintegrate at a mere glance, hidden by the foliage of a classic Guyot-trained trellis. This is the contrast between the native, down-to-earth variety and the aristocratic grape par excellence: Schiava and Pinot Noir represent two of the many faces of a region that, after making a name for itself with whites far beyond Trieste, is now playing the red wine card more convincingly, having previously been confined to the local market or mid-to-low range segments in German-speaking countries.

It is a return to its roots because, long before Sauvignon, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Grigio, and Chardonnay stole the spotlight, Schiava dominated production, covering approximately 70% of South Tyrol’s vineyard area. It has lost ground but remains the third most planted variety. It yields generously, and even with minimal yields, it still produces light-coloured reds focused on fresh fruit, with moderate alcohol, never sharp acidity, and an easy, carefree drinkability. These might seem like rustic, somewhat simple wines, but a vertical tasting of Gschleier Alte Reben, the most historic Schiava selection launched by Cantina Girlan in 1975 and made from century-old vines, debunks this prejudice: ageing transforms its profile, making it far more akin to the noble Pinot Noir.

Prices and quality of Girlan’s Schiava and Pinot Noir

The interesting part is that the same cooperative also produces South Tyrol’s most ambitious Pinot Noir: an average of €113 according to Wine Searcher. The two labels are conceptually opposed and positioned very differently; yet, they share freshness and delicacy of fruit. Cooperative wineries may seem impersonal entities, but in Girlan’s new projects, two unconventional figures play a crucial role: Oscar Lorandi and Gerhard Kofler.
The first, a Venetian with an Austrian mother and a past as a basketball player, joined the winery in 2007 as a sales manager and, with a playmaker’s spirit, triggered a radical change, climbing the ranks to become the first director without owning a single vine row. The second has been the driving force behind a substantial winemaking revolution.

"Girlan is a company with a significant history," explains Lorandi. "Gschleier was born in the same years as Italian icons like Vintage Tunina and Tignanello. Trattmann, our most historic Pinot Noir, was first produced in 1980. But there was a long period without major innovations."

The vineyards of the Girlan cooperative

The Schiava challenge and the cooperative’s work

Over the years, Girlan became synonymous with simple, inexpensive wine: in 2007, one-litre bottles and bulk wine still represented a core business. In terms of reputation and visibility, it was overshadowed by other producers in the same municipality, Appiano sulla Strada del Vino, one of the key locations in South Tyrol’s wine renaissance.

"The first step was convincing the members to make a significant investment in technology, renovating the historic winery, building a gravity-fed reception area and a new pressing room," Kofler explains. "We also started closely monitoring our growers in vineyard management, shifting from processing the already supplied grapes to selecting vineyard sites for our different lines, encouraging replanting if a parcel had an unsuitable variety."

The payment method has also changed: it is now based on owned square metres rather than grape quantity. The proportion of bulk wine has gradually dropped to 10% of total production, while premium wine production has grown exponentially. The range of labels has also been rationalised. "We realised we couldn’t produce everything; we needed priorities," adds Lorandi. White wines still outnumber reds – 65% versus 35% of the 1.5 million bottles produced annually – but the winery’s reputation as a red wine producer is linked to unparalleled work on these two varieties. In addition to two benchmark Schiavas – Gschleier and Fass 9 – Girlan produces five Pinot Noirs from three different zones. The latest addition is Alto Adige Pinot Nero Riserva Vigna Ganger, from one of the historic parcels in the Mazzon vineyard, Italy’s most renowned site for Pinot Noir.

The challenge: Alto Adige vs. Burgundy

In many cases, Schiava is far more accomplished in its simplicity than South Tyrolean Pinot Noirs, which often tend to be powerful, monolithic, and somewhat unrefined, especially when compared to Burgundy. But Vigna Ganger is different right from its origin: the plot sits at the foot of the massive rock wall overlooking Mazzon; facing southwest, it receives no sunlight until mid-morning, and the nearly 1,000-metre cliff funnels cold winds that drastically lower temperatures from sunset to dawn.

The vinification protocol is relatively simple: one-fifth whole bunches, fermentation with maceration of at least 25 days, 20 months in barriques, and 18 months in the bottle.

Lorandi and Kofler love challenges and, in addition to organising a double vertical tasting of Gschleier and Vigna Ganger, they also attempt a bold blind comparison between the latter and Clos de la Roche 2021 by Armand Rousseau, perhaps the least known Grand Cru of one of Côte de Nuits’ legendary producers. Price? Around €1,400 – more than ten times Vigna Ganger and over fifty times Gschleier.

Of course, this Burgundian Pinot Noir is disarmingly elegant from the first sip: incredibly smooth, dynamic, and completely seamless. It only lacks a touch of depth to be truly perfect (which might develop with time). But coming second to wines of this calibre – which only a few can afford to drink – is far from a bad result. And in any case, Vigna Ganger from the same vintage does not come across as a modest alternative for those on a lower budget. On the contrary, it affirms a distinct and well-defined style: part Mediterranean, part Alpine; sunny and voluminous, yet with lively freshness and a slightly firmer tannin grip. Full-bodied, yes, but without the overripeness and/or excessive oak that put many Pinot Noir lovers off some South Tyrolean expressions.

The double vertical tasting and scores

But let’s return to Gschleier. Schiava does not rely on high acidity or tannin structure for ageing potential; in the best cases, its ability to withstand time comes from its remarkably enduring fruit. Of course, not all vintages age equally well: of the six presented, 2010 is already a bit weak, and 1983 has reached the end of its journey. The real surprises are 1995 and 1976: still vibrant, with herbaceous and balsamic hints framing their intact fruit.

Vigna Ganger debuted in 2012, and tasting all nine vintages produced so far reveals noticeable variations between years. Some are warmer and heavier than ideal: 2015 is disjointed, 2018 rather one-dimensional. Surprisingly, 2014 – from an infamously cold year with almost no summer – reminds us that Pinot Noir thrives in cool climates; in contrast, 2017 was born from a scorching season, yet its intense aromatics, rich fruit, and balanced acidity make it highly compelling. The last three vintages, however, show the style has been definitively refined.

The next challenge for the Lorandi-Kofler duo? Eliminating heavy bottles to reduce CO₂ emissions. "We will adopt a lightweight bottle even for premium wines like Vigna Ganger, reducing weight from 680 grams to 420 with the 2022 vintage." A way to close the circle, extending the pursuit of elegance and lightness from the wine to the packaging.

Labels and vintages compared: Schiava, Pinot Noir, and Burgundy

The full vertical tasting of the different vintages of Girlan’s labels can be found in last November’s issue of Gambero Rosso (issue no. 394). Here, we present the latest vintages tasted: 2021 for Vigna Ganger and Burgundy, and 2022 and 1976 for Schiava (Gschleier Alte Reben).

Score: 95/100
A.A. Pinot Nero Vigna Ganger Ris. 2021
Girlan
Appiano/Eppan (BZ)
Clear and luminous in the glass, the aroma is gentle with notes of dog rose, wild strawberries, and incense; hints of iron and a touch of coffee complete the profile. Still settling, yet already well-defined; lively tannins and alpine acidity balance the fruit, creating a highly dynamic progression. Long finish, with just a hint of wood toast that still needs to integrate.

Score: 93/100
A.A. Vernatsch Gscheiler Alte Reben 2022
Girlan
Appiano/Eppan (BZ)
Youthful, transparent, and vibrant, with a classic nose of above-average elegance, featuring redcurrants, liquorice, herbs, and geranium. Juicy and energetic, yet not diluted; citrusy and subtly spiced notes mark a tonic finish that calls for canederli and speck.

Score: 95/100
A.A. Vernatsch Gscheiler Alte Reben 1976
Girlan
Appiano/Eppan (BZ)
Incredibly elegant and full of life, with a still-luminous colour and a marvellous bouquet of dried flowers, dehydrated herbs, redcurrant jam, and pipe tobacco. Very delicate, yet still vibrant, with intact fruit emerging amidst balsamic and woodland hints; long finish, with not the slightest trace of oxidation. Extraordinary.

Score: 97/100
Clos de la Roche 2021
Armand Rousseau
Gevrey-Chambertin (Burgundy)
Served blind, it has a bright and transparent colour; it opens with balsamic and subtly animal notes, which give way to exquisitely elegant nuances of very sweet red fruits – almost kir royal – and rose water. On the palate, it differs from Vigna Ganger: slightly vegetal at first – perhaps due to the whole-cluster fermentation – then incredibly delicate, with all elements blending into an impressively harmonious progression. The finish is just slightly simpler than the rest but remains perfectly consistent and of extraordinary refinement.