Manincor Schiava “der Keil” 2023

Manincor Schiava "der Keil" 2023 is a light, bright red from Lago di Caldaro in South Tyrol, made entirely from Schiava, a variety often called Vernatsch's more elegant cousin to Pinot Noir for its perfume and easy charm.

The wine comes from Manincor, an estate near Kaltern with winemaking roots stretching back to 1662, though its modern chapter began in 1991 when Michael Graf Goëss-Enzenberg and his family took the reins. Since then Manincor has farmed entirely biodynamically, treating the vineyard as a living, self-sustaining system, and has become one of South Tyrol's most respected names for wines of precision and place. "Der Keil" comes from a historic monopole vineyard of old vines overlooking Lake Kaltern, farmed on south-facing slopes at around 250 meters, a site the estate has long treated as one of its most prized holdings for Schiava.

In the glass, the 2023 shows a bright, soft-hued ruby. The nose is delicately fruity, built around cherry and a savory hint of toasted almond, with notes of drying rose petals and mixed red berries adding lift. On the palate it's juicy and crunchy, with tart cranberry, pomegranate, and red apple skin carrying through to a peppery, lively finish, all wrapped around soft tannins that make the wine remarkably easy to drink.

It's a red built for versatility and immediacy: light enough for warm-weather sipping, yet layered enough to hold its own with everything from cured meats to fried fish.