Tenuta Maso Corno - G. Larcher

Tenuta Maso Corno sits at 500 meters above sea level on the slopes of the Lessini Mountains, facing the Little Dolomites in Trentino. The estate spreads out like a fan over an orographic terrace suspended above the Ala creek, overlooking the Adige valley. This is a place where a centuries-old farmstead has been reborn as a vineyard, surrounded by mountain air and morning sun. The soil is special here. Dolomitic limestone with a thin layer of vegetation gives the wines a distinct mineral backbone. The vines have been growing for over 30 years, adapting to this unique terroir and developing characteristics that show up clearly in the glass.

The winemaker and his vision

Giulio Larcher came to winemaking through passion rather than tradition. In 2006, he purchased five hectares of vineyards around the old farmstead and started an adventure that would challenge conventional thinking. He brought a classical education and fresh perspective to viticulture, working with his family and a team of agronomists and oenologists. The approach focuses on recovering old French clones, keeping yields low, hand-selecting grapes, and harvesting manually. Everything is done with respect for the historical and environmental character of this mountain territory. The work is rational but never industrial, innovative but deeply connected to the past.

The wines from Maso Corno have gained recognition both in Italy and abroad, reaching markets like Japan, Russia, and the Netherlands. What Giulio creates here are mountain wines with a strong personality. They combine finesse and elegance with structured body, expressing the altitude and limestone soils in every bottle.

The wines

The estate specializes in Pinot Nero and Chardonnay, the noble varieties that thrive at these altitudes between 500 and 800 meters. These grapes are destined for metodo classico sparkling wines under the Trento DOC designation. The flagship Giulio Larcher Pas Dosé is 100% Chardonnay aged on lees for at least 30 months, vinified only in steel with no malolactic fermentation and zero dosage at disgorgement. It's fresh, mineral, and vertical with sharp acidity. There's also a vintage cuvée called Clou that blends 70% Chardonnay with 30% Pinot Nero. For still wines, the estate produces SantaMaria, a Pinot Nero Riserva that pays homage to the parish below the vineyards, aged in French oak barriques and tonneau. The Sauvignon Blanc called Declivi a Maso Corno is a Riserva that ferments in steel and ages 12 months in large oak casks, then another 12 months in bottle. Another white, Villanova, sees fermentation and malolactic conversion in large French oak barrels followed by extended aging. These are wines that demand patience, reflecting the philosophy that quality takes time.