PRANZEGG, Tonsur

The Tonsur is a cuvée of Müller Thurgau, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay and Silvaner from steep high vineyards that Martin Gojer cultivates with meticulous manual labour - there are not even tractors on his small vineyard. All grape varieties are de-stemmed by 50%, fermented, and matured in concrete on the mash; the tonsure is just before orange wine. Everything then remains on the fine lees until bottling, after which it is bottled unfiltered and without additions.

Weingut Pranzegg is a small 3.5-hectare family estate nestled in the surrounding mountain foothills of the town of Bozen in Südtirol (more commonly known as Alto Adige), just 50 km south of the Austrian border. The winery has been in the hands of the Gojer family for three generations. Martin took over the estate in 2008 and immediately started the conversion to biodynamic farming. Everything is done by hand here, and the wines are bottled without fining or filtration and with minimal doses of sulphur. For Martin, the most important thing is to make ‘living wines’ that are able to express a sense of place.

Martin allows his wines to take their time in the cellar – often two or even three years on the full lees before bottling. There are no additions other than small amounts of sulphur at bottling. The wines of Pranzegg carry a real finesse with them, often only showing their potential at a second glance. For Martin, it is about focus. ‘As a winegrower, it is primarily my intention to narrate the region, the scene, the year and our way of living. Working biodynamically helps us not to blur the narration.’

Producer: Pranzegg
Region: Trento Alto-Adige, Italy
Grapes: MT, Pinot blanc, Chardonnay, Sylvaner
Style: White
Size: 75cl
ABV: 11,5%