So as I’ve mentioned a few times here, I had the opportunity to visit Alto Adige last year. Among the many goodies I had the opportunity to taste and sip was the Manincor 2006 Le Petit Manincor. A luscious dessert wine I liked so much that I purchased a bottle to bring home.

A few months later, I toted that same bottle along to a friend’s birthday lunch in Houston. Toward the end of lunch, Guy Stout — a mutual friend who also happens to be a Master Sommelier – stopped by to deliver birthday wishes and stayed long enough to be knocked out by the dessert wine.

That chance encounter led to a longer tasting with Guy, another number of months months later, of a lineup of Manincor wines.

I have to say that Manincor really stands out in my memory as being one of the coolest wineries I’ve ever visited. I wish I were well versed enough (or even a little versed) in architecture to really give this stunning, elegant and extremely eco-friendly winery the description it deserves. But alas, no. Here are a couple of snippets from owner, creator, and über-debonair Count Michael Goëss-Enzenberg that touch on the structure itself and give, I hope, a feeling for this magnificent place:

It is to do with accepting what was there already. The goal was to reinterpret the landscape rather than to change it. Building underground also makes it possible to exploit the geophysical potential. Covering the building and planting vines on top of it goes beyond landscape cosmetics; it isolates and irrigates and clarifies the aim…

Rusty steel parts, not to impress contemporaries but because they represent the best form of conservation. Black parts, designed to fade out, as in the theater or with the French existentialists. Good light, of both artificial and natural origin. Wood only where it makes sense, in shelves or barrels. A botanical concept of restoring nature. All these ingredients should suffice to season the meal and fulfill the architectural commitments. After all, it is the wines of Manincor not the building that should stand in the foreground.

I think that “elegance” is probably the word that keeps coming to mind when I think of Manincor — the place, the wines, the people. Here are my notes on the wines, along with some comments from Guy:

Manincor 2006 Reserve della Contessa Dolomiti ($20). Full bodied and elegant, with focused apple and apricot notes layered with light citrus and fresh herbal notes, with a touch of creaminess through the full finish. Ready to drink now and over the next three or four years. A blend of Pinot Bianco, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Locate this wine online or in your area. (2009-11-07) 

Manincor 2007 Reserve della Contessa Vigneti delle Dolomiti Bianco ($29). A blend of Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, this starts juicy and fresh, with green apple up front. Then rounds into apricot through the finish, picking up mineral along the way. Guy commented positively on the texture of the wine — and not for the last time during the tasting — noting white peach, Rainier cherry and a granite/crushed stone note on the finish. Ready to drink now and over the next 3-4 years. Locate this wine online or in your area.

Manincor 2006 Sophie Vigneti delle Dolomiti ($40). A blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier. Offers apricot, floral and hay aromas, then flavors of pear, apple, peach — lush without being heavy. Guy again noted the texture, noticing something Persimmon-like and pulpy alongside the honey, herbal edge, red apple, pear and vanilla oak notes. Long finish. Ready to drink now and over the next 3-4 years. Locate this wine online or in your area.

Manincor 2007 Kalterersee Classico Superiore Lago di Caldaro ($N/A). This is another bottle I toted home — it’s 100% Schiava, which is such a light-colored, juicy red wine, it’s very nearly a rosé. We all fell in love with the stuff during our tour, and this was one of my favorites for its crushed red fruit character, elegant mineral notes and clean, bright finish. Guy said it was the ‘best Schiava I’ve ever had’ and noted its delicate, soft texture (there’s that word again) its cherry and stone notes, and a slight herbal edge. Ready to drink now. Locate this wine online or in your area.

Manincor 2007 Pinot Noir Alto Adige Mason ($60). Fresh, pretty red berry and cherry aromas and pronounced flavors, with a full finish that focuses on the fruit, keeping the toasty, creamy, oak spice notes in the background. Guy commented on the smoky oak, vanilla notes, the texture and the cherry fruit, saying he ‘liked this a lot’ and comparing it to a Village level, or better, Burgundy. Ready to drink now and over the next 8-10 years. Locate this wine online or in your area. 

Manincor 2006 Le Petit Manincor Alto Adige ($30). Intense, silky apricot, fleshy marmalade and resin and mineral notes weave together in this deliciously sweet wine. Long, rich, evolving finish goes on and on. Ready to drink now and over the next 5-8 years. Made from Petit Manseng. Locate this wine online or in your area.

Final notes: The prices here are a bit of guesswork, as I’m not at all sure that all these wines are available in any kind of quantity (or at all) in the U.S. But look for them anyway — things can change, and they’re worth the effort!

Final (final) note: Got updated pricing — what you see above is correct!