Romance and fairy tales!

Andreas Nicolussi from the renowned Hotel Weingut Stroblhof is something of a living trilogy: he is a winemaker, cellar master and hotelier in his own right, in other words: all rolled into one! In fog and rain or on a gloomy, snow-slush day, Andreas Nicolussi cloaked in an elegant cape, wrapped in finest wool, looks like a sixty-something from the fashion industry, gracefully greying and cherishing the pleasures of life. More French than the Italian. Grumblers who know him well claim that his general bearing and outfit may well reflect one half of his professional life - the Stroblhof Hotel - but hardly that of a winegrower - Stroblhof wines.

In truth, Andreas Nicolussi, born and bred in Kaltern and one of the most enigmatic figures among the South Tyrol’s Independent Winegrowers, is an unshakably grounded, down-to-earth guy: he talks less about “m-a-k-i-n-g” wine and more about "the outdoors", about the inclination of the vines to the sun, about soils and smaller winegrowing locations. "The outdoors" is where wonderful wines are created and only then when one has understood and learned to use the potential of one's vineyard locations.

Andreas's father-in-law led the pioneering efforts at the Stroblhof vineyards, cultivating a range of grape varieties that was typical for his generation - he bottled a much-acclaimed "Strahler" from an assortment of these whites with Pinot Blanc as the main component. There used to be several "Strahler", today the Stroblhof "Strahler" is the last representation of this once traditional white wine blend - Andreas Nicolussi has drastically cut back on the varieties: 91% Pinot Blanc, 2% Pinot Grigio, 7% Chardonnay. "The Burgundy varieties have been native to the elevated Pigenó locations for over 150 years. My idea of a ’Strahler' is best achieved with these." The 2019 vintage has a mountain apple scent that remains beguiling even after 2 hours when "reverse tasting". The vibrating tartness and a savoury draw over the palate are characteristics of all Stroblhof wines.

Monsieur Nicolussí's second great Burgundy is Pinot Noir (here often abbreviated to BB), the most devilishly difficult red wine, be it in cultivation or in the cellar: "Since the renovation and rebuilding of my small wine cellar, I am now able to ferment a Pinot Noir for a prolonged period of time and maintain a constant temperature below 25 degrees, thus avoiding flavours in the wine that lean towards stewed jam." That's why the "regular" Stroblhof BB - "Pigenó" also has style, body, Christmas spices and Burgundy fruits i.e. red but also some black cherry. The "Riserva" is like its big brother: much more elegant and full-bodied; with its distinctive tannins it is somewhat reminiscent of the mischievous Ander Nicolussi himself in his fluffy woollen jumper.