Pranzegg, Campill Vernatsch Mitterberg, 2012

Martin Gojer admits that when he started his tiny estate, Pranzegg, with his wife Heidi, he simply didn’t have the money to plant international varieties. Wine lovers are the luckier for it, because Gojer became infatuated with Vernatsch, sourced from a 60-year-old vineyard trained on a pergola. Using tronconic (tapered) oak and tiny cement tanks, he leaves his Vernatsch for as long as 30 days on the skins, while keeping the cap submerged in the wine. The result is a truly transparent version of the grape, with fine, muscular tannins and layers of depth. A touch of oak and a great purity of raspberry fruit. Amazingly expressive.