Summary
Kellerei Girlan (Italian Cantina Girlan) is a winegrowing cooperative in Girlan (Cornaiano), a village in the municipality of Eppan an der Weinstraße in South Tyrol's Überetsch (Oltradige). Founded in 1923 by 24 growers in a 16th-century farmhouse, it today unites around 200 grower families who farm roughly 220 hectares of vines in the Überetsch and the Bassa Atesina. The house is famous above all for its Pinot Noir (Blauburgunder): the Riservas ‘Trattmann’ and ‘Vigna Ganger’ from the Mazon plateau rank among the benchmarks of South Tyrolean Pinot Noir. No less renowned are the Vernatsch ‘Gschleier Alte Reben’ from 80- to 110-year-old vines and the Pinot Blanc ‘Flora’. Four ranges – Classici, Vigneti, Flora and Solisti – span the arc from everyday wine to the very top.
History
The story of Kellerei Girlan begins in 1923: 24 growers from Girlan joined forces and set up a shared cellar in a historic 16th-century farmhouse. Their starting capital was a mere 25 hectares of vines or so – a modest beginning at a time when smallholders could hardly market their grapes on their own. The first chairman was the grower Johann Kofler.
In the following decades the cooperative grew steadily. From 1961 cellar master Valentin Spitaler left his mark; under him the legendary Vernatsch ‘Fass Nr. 9’ was created – a wine first bottled in the early 1960s and to this day produced only in the best vintages. From 1975 Hartmuth Spitaler drove the quality offensive forward; the focus on Vernatsch from the Gschleier site also dates from this period. 1980 saw the first Pinot Noir from the Trattmannhof in Mazon – the foundation stone for the later reputation as a Pinot Noir specialist.
Since 2012 Gerhard Kofler has been responsible for the wines as cellar master. In the same year the ‘Vigna Ganger’ from the Ganger monopole in Mazon was added to the range. In 2016 the winery moved into a new building of contemporary architecture that brings production, ageing cellar and tasting rooms together under one roof. In 2023 the cooperative celebrated its centenary.
Location & Terroir
Girlan lies at around 450 metres above sea level in the Überetsch, the hill country between Bolzano and Lake Kaltern. The climate is mild and sunny, while at night the katabatic winds from the mountains create marked differences between day and night temperatures – ideal conditions for aromatic white wines and finely structured reds.
The soils around Girlan are of glacial origin: the vines root in moraine gravel interspersed with weathered porphyry. The Gschleier site above Girlan, at around 450 metres, is the classic home of Vernatsch; pergola plantings with 80- to 110-year-old vines still stand here. In Plattenriegl at 450 to 540 metres grow Pinot Blanc and Sauvignon, in Schreckbichl Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
A second pillar lies further south in the Bassa Atesina: the high plateau of Mazon above Neumarkt is regarded as one of South Tyrol's finest Pinot Noir origins. The Ganger monopole lies there at 360 to 380 metres, facing southwest on clay and limestone soils – a combination that gives Pinot Noir structure and length.
Style & Philosophy
Kellerei Girlan sees itself as a cooperative that puts the vineyard at the centre. The cellar master keeps close contact with the member estates and advises them throughout the growing season – from canopy work to deciding the harvest date. The result is a range that, despite the many suppliers, carries a clear signature.
That signature is elegance over power: the Pinot Noirs are made for finesse, freshness and ageing capacity, not concentration. With Vernatsch, Girlan deliberately relies on the old pergola vines whose low yields lend depth and ageing potential to what is essentially a light wine. For the whites, varietal typicity comes first – Pinot Blanc with tension and structure, Chardonnay with the ability to mature.
The range is divided into four lines: the Classici are single-varietal, approachable wines for every day. The Vigneti come from selected sites. The Flora range unites Riservas and matured selections. At the top stand the Solisti – wines with an identity of their own, the result of decades of work on individual parcels.
Notable Vineyards & Wines
The Solisti
- Trattmann Pinot Noir Riserva – the classic from Mazon and the Überetsch (380 to 550 metres), in the range since 1980 and awarded Gambero Rosso's ‘Tre Bicchieri’ for more than a decade in a row
- Vigna Ganger Pinot Noir Riserva – from the Ganger monopole in Mazon, with 15 to 20 years of ageing potential the house's top wine
- Gschleier Alte Reben Vernatsch – from 80- to 110-year-old pergola vines in Gschleier, a Vernatsch of unusual depth with around ten years of ageing potential
- Curlan Chardonnay Riserva and Curlan Pinot Noir Riserva – from the Girlan sites Gschleier and Schreckbichl at 450 to 500 metres
Further flagships
- Pinot Blanc ‘Flora’ – the Riserva version of the variety, with maturity and structure
- Pinot Blanc ‘Plattenriegl’ – from the high-altitude site of the same name, fresh and mineral
- Lagrein ‘Patricia’ – a Riserva from South Tyrol's native red variety
- Vernatsch ‘Fass Nr. 9’ – the legendary wine from the Vigneti range, produced only in the best vintages
Awards
Kellerei Girlan is among the most awarded producers in South Tyrol. The Trattmann Pinot Noir Riserva received Gambero Rosso's ‘Tre Bicchieri’ for more than a decade in a row – a consistency hardly any other Italian Pinot Noir has matched. The Vigna Ganger was rated 96+ points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, and the Gschleier Alte Reben Vernatsch was singled out by Britain's Decanter magazine as one of Italy's best wines. Add to that regular top ratings in Falstaff, Vinum and the South Tyrolean wine guides. The wines are exported to more than 30 countries.
