In short, this is a well-executed, dry, fresh, and terroir-driven Chardonnay with medium body, but remarkable intensity and, above all, purity and airiness. It is a refreshing breath of fresh air in a Chardonnay world where the limits of oak treatment are far too often pushed.
Girlan ‘Marna’ is a new addition to Girlan’s dynamic portfolio, which never rests on its laurels but constantly seeks to optimize production. Chardonnay is becoming an increasingly important grape variety in Südtirol/Alto Adige. Climate change has given this grape the opportunity to ripen to perfection, and Chardonnay handles warm, dry periods better than many of the other grape varieties grown here. Marna Chardonnay is based on grapes from vines at an altitude of 450-530 meters, between the town of Girlan and up toward the foot of the Mendel Pass, which rises almost 1000 meters vertically over the valley. Here we are on the edge where limestone shifts to volcanic stone to the south, but the vines are planted precisely on the last part of the limestone bedrock with a thin, gravelly, nutrient-poor top layer.
The grapes are hand-harvested at perfect phenolic ripeness in September, where the bunches are placed in small crates and transported the short distance to Girlan’s state-of-the-art gravity-flow winery, where they are handled gently throughout the vinification process. The grapes are whole-cluster pressed after a short maceration, and fermentation takes place in a combination of stainless steel tanks and large oak barrels. Only a portion of the base wines undergo malolactic fermentation. The wine ages for six months on steel and oak before blending, filtering, and clarification, followed by a few more months in the bottle.
Marna Chardonnay is an engaging, honest Chardonnay with only a hint of oak in the aromas. Instead, a mineral tension is perceived in both the scent and taste, with a bit of structure from the ripe grape skins and fruit aromas, especially of unripe Lucas pear, ripe lemon, Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, and fresh almonds. The wine has light body with great precision and offers delightful chalky minerals. This is not a rich, buttery, popcorn Chardonnay; the focus here is on freshness and precision, where the grape itself plays the lead role; and it excels at that.
Enjoy Girlan Marna Chardonnay with robust fish dishes, light meat dishes, fried or poached chicken, rustic salads, or as a semi-intellectual solo wine. Serve in a spacious white wine glass at a temperature of 10-15°.
As Marna is a new cuvée, its aging potential is difficult to predict, but five years after harvest, we dare to guess it will still be in fine shape.
90 points from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
“This wine is steely and bright with good tension. The Girlan 2022 Alto Adige Chardonnay Marna shows crushed stone and initial saltiness. On the palate, it fleshes out with mild texture. It fermented in stainless steel and oak, with partial malolactic fermentation, and saw six months on fine lees. Fruit comes from high-elevation vineyards with marl soils, hence the name ‘Marna.'”
