There is a man in the Alto Adige who wants to make a better Pinot Noir than
Burgundy. I don't know if he will ever be successful in doing so, but it isn't stopping Franz Haas from trying. Surrounded by beautiful mountains, his winery and vineyards are a picture postcard scene. Nestled in the hillside, overlooking a magnificent vista, his property was where I learned what he is trying to do.
Franz is in love with Pinot Noir. His passion for the grape is obvious by the fact that you can see the tension in his face when he isn't happy with one of his own wines. He has a major enemy to his quest to out-Pinot the Burgundians, and that is climate change, as his established vineyards are getting too hot.
At an elevation of 300 metres, his older vineyards, that once produced higher quality Pinot Noir, are being harvested six weeks earlier than they were three decades ago. This results in fatter, lower quality wines, and Franz isn't satisfied with the results. He has therefore bought land higher up the mountains, at 900 metres, and is producing much better wine there. Still, Franz isn't happy as there is a limited amount of space at these higher altitudes, so he is experimenting lower down. Taking the same 300 metre vineyard, he has been experimenting with different ways of making his wine, and the results are impressive. He managed to make a wine that is leagues better than another, with much more complexity and finesse. It was almost as good as the 900 metre wine that I tried, despite coming from a vineyard that harvested over a month earlier.
This excites Franz as his next goal is to take what he has learned from the lower vineyards and transfer it to the higher altitudes. Then, as he put it, people may begin to say "Burgundy...who?"
In the meantime he is continuing to experiment with other grape varieties in the Alto Adige. A nice Sauvignon Blanc that reminded me of a German example of this grape, a super Petit Manseng and a Lagrein that he semi dries the grapes, not to get concentration, but to lose the green vegetal flavours that the grape in it's youth. But Pinot Noir is the man's passion and I get the impression that even if he achieves his goal of making a wine that beats the best of Burgundy, he won't stop experimenting and playing with new varieties in the Alto Adige.
2010 Franz Haas Pinot Noir Rose
Light fresh strawberries, a lot of brightness coming off the wine. Good bright raspberries and a little bit of fresh acidity. Some strawberry on the back end too. 85pts
2010 Franz Haas Pinot Grigio
Bright, lots of lemon and grapefruit pith. A bright chalky element too. The palate has a bit of body, some grapefruit with a sprinkling of white pepper. Light and fresh. 85pts
2009 Franz Haas Manna
A sweet floral note on the nose, some bright citrus too. The palate is dry, with slight pear and peach flavours, mixing with an oily palate. Some lovely zingy notes mixing with a fuller tropical palate. 92pts
2010 Franz Haas Gewurztraminer
A lot of mineral aromas, some chalky aromas mixed with a little oriental spice. The palate is dry, very very dry with lots of grapefruit pith, a little jasmine and a bit of orange skin on the finish. 88pts
2009 Franz Haas Pinot Nero
A lot of lit fresh cranberry and a brit raspberry mixed with some leafy notes. Some fresh fruit, light, fresh and with lovely balance. A bright wine, very drinkable with a good herbal element coming through. A very tasty wine, perfect summer drinking with a good fruit all the way to the end. 91pts
2009 Franz Haas Moscato Rosa
Some light strawberry with a little bit of bright raspberry coming off. The palate is rich, some strawberry mixed with bramble and a little bit of compote too. Very well balanced, super clean with a vewry gentle sweetness. 87pts
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