Rochelt : Der Inntaler 2012

Characteristics and Tasting Notes for Der Inntaler 2012 Rochelt

Tasting

Color
Bright with a pale golden shimmer, this unfiltered eau-de-vie boasts a remarkable crystalline clarity, a testament to long ageing in glass rather than in oak barrels.

Nose
Complex and layered. The opening notes reveal the fruity, honeyed sweetness of Williams pear. As it opens up, quince brings floral and subtly astringent aromas, while wild raspberry adds delicate herbaceous and spicy touches.

Palate
Warm and remarkably smooth despite its 50 degrees of alcohol, the texture is round and beautifully integrated. The natural sweetness of ripe Williams pear coats the palate, quickly balanced by structure, honeyed notes and the fine astringency of quince. The finish is exceptionally long, clean and complex, allowing the wild raspberry to shine through with subtle peppery and herbaceous notes.

Food and Wine Pairing
Best enjoyed neat, at room temperature (between 15 and 18°C), ideally in a tulip glass or the distillery's own dedicated tasting glass. As a digestif, it pairs beautifully with Mediterranean cuisine, rich game dishes or fruit- and honey-based desserts. It also shines alongside cheeses, whether fresh and delicate or matured, such as an aged alpine Gruyère. As an aperitif, a light dilution with a few drops of spring water helps open up its aromatic profile.

Mixology
As an exceptional, long-matured product, we recommend enjoying it neat to fully appreciate its complexity.

Other Characteristics
Bottled at 50% alcohol, this cuvée is the result of a slow double distillation in a copper still. It has undergone no filtration or addition of colouring, preserving the pure, authentic expression of the fruit.

A Tyrolean Eau-de-Vie of Great Elegance by Rochelt

The Rochelt Distillery: Tyrolean Excellence
Founded in 1989 by Günter Rochelt in the village of Fritzens, near Innsbruck in Tyrol, the family-owned Rochelt distillery revolutionised the production of Eau-de-vie from Austria. Rejecting industrialisation, the house has established itself as the absolute reference in fruit distillates thanks to an uncompromising philosophy: rigorous fruit selection, natural fermentation and traditional distillation in a copper still. Today, Alexander Rainer, the founder's son-in-law, leads the estate. Together with the family, he continues this pursuit of excellence and purity. Deliberately limited in production, the house favours quality over quantity, making every bottle of Rochelt a true work of craftsmanship, celebrated by connoisseurs for its aromatic concentration and extended ageing in glass demijohns.

Der Inntaler 2012: An Exceptional Three-Fruit Cuvée
The Der Inntaler cuvée takes its name from the Inn Valley, the historic birthplace of the distillery. This 2012 vintage is a masterful fruit Eau-de-vie, the result of a meticulous and closely guarded blend of three exceptional varieties: quince, sweet as honey; fruity Williams pear; and delicate wild raspberry, hand-harvested in the forests of the Carpathians.

Unlike single-fruit eaux-de-vie, each component of this cuvée is naturally fermented (sometimes for up to six months) and distilled separately. The yield is extremely low: it takes up to eighty kilos of fruit to produce just one litre of heart cut. The distillates are then blended and left to age for twelve years in large open glass demijohns, known as dame-jeannes, stored in the distillery's attic. This unique method allows for natural evaporation (the angels' share) and gentle oxidation, avoiding the tannins of wood in order to preserve the pure essence of the fruit.

Finally, the bottle itself is a true work of art. Inspired by the traditional Tyrolean pinch bottle, two centuries old, this shimmering green glass bottle is custom-made by local glass artisan Alfred Ecker, underscoring the regional heritage and prestige of this exceptional spirit.