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Marks Italian Job
Day 3 - Franz Haas, Cesconi & Pilzer
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Franz Haas
We arrive at Franz Haas around 10 o’clock having taken an unplanned detour. While our driver tried to work out where he went wrong we took photos of the vineyards in the valley below. Franz Haas was established in 1880 and the current owner is a direct descendant of the founders. In fact every single controlling generation has been overseen by a 'Franz Haas' as the name is passed down to the first born son. Luckily for Franz he also has a son called Franz that he will one day pass the baton on. The wines in this part of Italy are generally single varietals and are often labeled with the variety clearly evident similar to the new world. The region is often too cool to produce red wines however the local LAGREIN variety does offer very interesting drinking. This wine was the highlight of our mornings tasting. We were then taken even higher up the side of the valley to some of the family’s vineyards. We enjoy a selection of rolls as well as some wonderful plum cake for lunch before moving on to our next destination.
We currently stock the following wines from Franz Haas:
Lagrein 2003
Pinot Grigio available upon request
Cesconi
Cesconi is a relatively new winery and is run by four brothers. The winery is basically brand new and shows that a lot of care and dedication is being shown to this project. We are shown around the vineyards, which are on the other side of the Brenner Pass to Franz Haas’. The vineyards are also much lower and from a brief walk through the vineyards, it is easy to gauge the change in temperature from the lofty Haas vineyards. This is the first time I have tasted the wines and although I did not find a wine we would currently be willing to list this estate is certainly one to keep an eye on for future vintages as the Brothers hone their craft.
Pilzer
Our final stop of the day was another hours drive as we traverse a few valleys before arriving at Pilzer. Pilzer is a small-ish scale Grappa producer who is seen as one of the best in the area. The company has been going since 1956 with the new distillery we visited being completed in 2002. The company will use the pressings from some of the best Trentino and Alto Adige producers to produce delicate yet fiery grappa’s. The bronze still is a thing of beauty that rivals some of Scotland’s most prized stills. At present, we do not stock any from the range but we hope to have some in stock by the middle of autumn. Keep an eye out for these as they are available in smaller sized bottles as well.
We leave Pilzer around six and head further up the road deeper into the hills for dinner at a local restaurant. It is quite a strange contrast to the semi-industrialised areas around Verona, the mountainous landscape in this area makes it impossible for large settlements and the area feels quite secluded, in fact as we drive in deeper a few members of the party thought they could hear distant banjos being played but I put it down to the Grappa tasting. After dinner, we drive back to our Hotel it is nearly mid night when we reach the outskirts of Verona where our Hotel is situated.
Read more about the rest of Marks trip
day 1 - Pieropan
day 2 - Cantina Sociale di Monteforte, Cantina Valpantena & Allegrini
day 3 - Franz Haas, Cesconi & Pilzer
day 4 - Ca dei Frati
Marks Italian menu with wine suggestions ...
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