“Medium straw-green-yellow. Ripe, musky and floral aromas of lemon drop, butter, mint, oatmeal and pomaceous orchard fruit. Sweet and juicy, with good cut and spice character; there’s nothing hard about this fresh Blanc de Morgex et La Salle. Closes with nicely persistent hints of white flowers, orange oil and resin. Makes an outstanding aperitif but is big enough to stand up to vegetable appetizers and delicately cooked freshwater fish entrées. Drinking window: 2019-2023. 92 points”
“The 2021 Contrade SM is a varietal Grillo with a deep golden-yellow color. The bouquet evokes musky dried peaches, apricots, sweet herbs and ground ginger. It’s soft-textured, with zesty acidity and saline minerals up front that give way to vivid yellow apples and savory spice. This finishes long, dry and lightly structured, yet harmonious, displaying all the components necessary for a steady evolution, as a bitter tinge keeps the mouth watering for more. This is a fascinating Grillo that exceeds expectations. Two thousand and twenty-one is only the second vintage of Contrade SM, which hails from a vineyard planted in 2016 at 500 meters in soils of sandy calcareous marl. Drinking window: 2024-2028. 93 points
From top to bottom, these new releases from Arianna Occhipinti are fantastic. It’s great to see that even as her popularity and fan base have grown over the last 20 years, Occhipinti has stuck to her roots, creating an exciting portfolio of both vintage and terroir-driven wines made through all-natural and organic means. The niece of Giusto Occhipinti of COS, she started her own project at the age of twenty-two with just one hectare of abandoned vines in the commune of Vittoria. The portfolio has grown today, but Occhipinti’s artisanal touch in these wines is still apparent. Nearly all are wonderful upon release yet also balanced for the cellar.”
“Pungent florals, ground ginger and grapefruit form a zesty bouquet as the 2022 Bianco SP68 opens in the glass. It’s soft and round. Juicy acidity and tropical citrus tones enliven its tart orchard fruits. This finishes surprisingly long, leaving exotic inner florals and sour melon notes to fade slowly. What a treat. The SP68 Bianco is a blend of Albana and Zibibbo. Drinking window: 2023-2026. 90 points
From top to bottom, these new releases from Arianna Occhipinti are fantastic. It’s great to see that even as her popularity and fan base have grown over the last 20 years, Occhipinti has stuck to her roots, creating an exciting portfolio of both vintage and terroir-driven wines made through all-natural and organic means. The niece of Giusto Occhipinti of COS, she started her own project at the age of twenty-two with just one hectare of abandoned vines in the commune of Vittoria. The portfolio has grown today, but Occhipinti’s artisanal touch in these wines is still apparent. Nearly all are wonderful upon release yet also balanced for the cellar.”
“From top to bottom, the Terlano portfolio continues to be one of the brightest shining stars within Alto Adige. The Tradition line is priced remarkably well for the value it represents, seeking to provide a pure expression of variety and terroir. Readers can get a very good feel for the region and house style of these crisp, transparent yet wholly satisfying wines. As you work your way up to the Sauvignon Blanc Quarz and Winkl, you’ll find a deep and prestigious expression of the varietal from the first and a younger yet richer and easier drinking one from the latter. The Pinot Bianco Riserva Vorberg seems to be fighting to compete with the best whites of Burgundy. If I had to point out any weak point in the portfolio, it would be the two Lagreins, yet this is splitting hairs as these deep expressions simply don’t communicate their price point to me; that said, I’d never turn down a glass. The real highlight of their portfolio is their Terlaner blends. At the entry level, the Terlaner Cuvée, is a serious wine that over-delivers. The Terlaner range blends Pinot Bianco, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc to varying degrees, starting with the Terlaner Riserva Nova Domus, a showstopper, and then moving up to the Terlaner Grande Cuvée Primo, which can compete with some of the top white wines around the world. How do they age, you might ask? Just take a look at the late release and limited Rarity portfolio (2008 Terlaner and 2009 Terlaner Riserva Nova Domus current vintages). These wines were vinified and refined for one year in large oak before being placed into a steel tank (2,500 liters) and allowed to mature on the lees for ten years or more. In fact, drinking their top wines young is a total disservice to what winemaker Rudi Kofler and his team have created at this bastion of tradition. If there was one stop to make while visiting the region that could give you a real sense of the Alto Adige experience, Terlano is it.”
“The Cantina Terlano 2021 Alto Adige Gewürztraminer Tradition (with 100,000 bottles made) is a sweet and fragrant wine with heavy beeswax, sticky apricot and canned peach. Made only in stainless steel, the wine follows up with tighter aromas of cumin and saffron over a generous finish. Dried herb and white flower also appear. Drink: 2022-2025. 91 points
Founded in 1893, Cantina Terlano is one of the leading quality cooperative wine estates in Europe. It is based in the village of Terlano near Bolzano and counts 143 members who together farm 190 hectares of vines. The soils are especially rich in reddish porphyry soils, quartz and other minerals because this area sits inside an ancient volcanic crater. This is the secret of these delicious wines, especially the late-release Rarity and the Terlaner I Grande Cuvée that are always among my top-scoring Italian white wines.
The estate philosophy was set by the legendary winemaker Sebastian Stocker and is rigorously followed today by current enologist Rudi Kofler and estate director Klaus Gasser. The estate has designed its own rounded bottle that is affectionately called the “Sebastianina,” named after Mr. Stocker who first designed it.
“Protecting our traditional bottle is part of our efforts to safeguard the Terlano brand,” says Klaus Gasser. “Its beauty and shape express the qualities want to transmit to the senses, and the bottle will be used on both the Selection and the Tradition lines from this point on.” The new bottles show a 10% reduction in glass weight.
Speaking of glass, Cantina Terlano has also introduced its own stemware, called Precision, made in partnership with the crystal factory Boema Cerva Bohemia. I am super excited to taste the wines of Terlano from these new glasses.”
“The 2021 Chardonnay Kreuth is floral yet understated in the glass, as swirling unlocks hints of crushed yellow apple and chamomile. This is silky-smooth, nearly oily in feel, with a citrus tinge to its ripe orchard fruits. A green melon note adds further contrast toward the close. It finishes zesty and crisp, leaving lime zest and spice behind. Drinking window: 2023-2026. 89 points
Terlano’s 2020s need a lot of time in the cellar. However, they do promise to pay dividends to wine lovers who can be patient. That said, the whites certainly outperform the reds in this turbulent vintage. The 2020 Primo and Riserva Vorberg are both simply stunning.”
“From top to bottom, the Terlano portfolio continues to be one of the brightest shining stars within Alto Adige. The Tradition line is priced remarkably well for the value it represents, seeking to provide a pure expression of variety and terroir. Readers can get a very good feel for the region and house style of these crisp, transparent yet wholly satisfying wines. As you work your way up to the Sauvignon Blanc Quarz and Winkl, you’ll find a deep and prestigious expression of the varietal from the first and a younger yet richer and easier drinking one from the latter. The Pinot Bianco Riserva Vorberg seems to be fighting to compete with the best whites of Burgundy. If I had to point out any weak point in the portfolio, it would be the two Lagreins, yet this is splitting hairs as these deep expressions simply don’t communicate their price point to me; that said, I’d never turn down a glass. The real highlight of their portfolio is their Terlaner blends. At the entry level, the Terlaner Cuvée, is a serious wine that over-delivers. The Terlaner range blends Pinot Bianco, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc to varying degrees, starting with the Terlaner Riserva Nova Domus, a showstopper, and then moving up to the Terlaner Grande Cuvée Primo, which can compete with some of the top white wines around the world. How do they age, you might ask? Just take a look at the late release and limited Rarity portfolio (2008 Terlaner and 2009 Terlaner Riserva Nova Domus current vintages). These wines were vinified and refined for one year in large oak before being placed into a steel tank (2,500 liters) and allowed to mature on the lees for ten years or more. In fact, drinking their top wines young is a total disservice to what winemaker Rudi Kofler and his team have created at this bastion of tradition. If there was one stop to make while visiting the region that could give you a real sense of the Alto Adige experience, Terlano is it.”
“From top to bottom, the Terlano portfolio continues to be one of the brightest shining stars within Alto Adige. The Tradition line is priced remarkably well for the value it represents, seeking to provide a pure expression of variety and terroir. Readers can get a very good feel for the region and house style of these crisp, transparent yet wholly satisfying wines. As you work your way up to the Sauvignon Blanc Quarz and Winkl, you’ll find a deep and prestigious expression of the varietal from the first and a younger yet richer and easier drinking one from the latter. The Pinot Bianco Riserva Vorberg seems to be fighting to compete with the best whites of Burgundy. If I had to point out any weak point in the portfolio, it would be the two Lagreins, yet this is splitting hairs as these deep expressions simply don’t communicate their price point to me; that said, I’d never turn down a glass. The real highlight of their portfolio is their Terlaner blends. At the entry level, the Terlaner Cuvée, is a serious wine that over-delivers. The Terlaner range blends Pinot Bianco, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc to varying degrees, starting with the Terlaner Riserva Nova Domus, a showstopper, and then moving up to the Terlaner Grande Cuvée Primo, which can compete with some of the top white wines around the world. How do they age, you might ask? Just take a look at the late release and limited Rarity portfolio (2008 Terlaner and 2009 Terlaner Riserva Nova Domus current vintages). These wines were vinified and refined for one year in large oak before being placed into a steel tank (2,500 liters) and allowed to mature on the lees for ten years or more. In fact, drinking their top wines young is a total disservice to what winemaker Rudi Kofler and his team have created at this bastion of tradition. If there was one stop to make while visiting the region that could give you a real sense of the Alto Adige experience, Terlano is it.”
“From top to bottom, the Terlano portfolio continues to be one of the brightest shining stars within Alto Adige. The Tradition line is priced remarkably well for the value it represents, seeking to provide a pure expression of variety and terroir. Readers can get a very good feel for the region and house style of these crisp, transparent yet wholly satisfying wines. As you work your way up to the Sauvignon Blanc Quarz and Winkl, you’ll find a deep and prestigious expression of the varietal from the first and a younger yet richer and easier drinking one from the latter. The Pinot Bianco Riserva Vorberg seems to be fighting to compete with the best whites of Burgundy. If I had to point out any weak point in the portfolio, it would be the two Lagreins, yet this is splitting hairs as these deep expressions simply don’t communicate their price point to me; that said, I’d never turn down a glass. The real highlight of their portfolio is their Terlaner blends. At the entry level, the Terlaner Cuvée, is a serious wine that over-delivers. The Terlaner range blends Pinot Bianco, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc to varying degrees, starting with the Terlaner Riserva Nova Domus, a showstopper, and then moving up to the Terlaner Grande Cuvée Primo, which can compete with some of the top white wines around the world. How do they age, you might ask? Just take a look at the late release and limited Rarity portfolio (2008 Terlaner and 2009 Terlaner Riserva Nova Domus current vintages). These wines were vinified and refined for one year in large oak before being placed into a steel tank (2,500 liters) and allowed to mature on the lees for ten years or more. In fact, drinking their top wines young is a total disservice to what winemaker Rudi Kofler and his team have created at this bastion of tradition. If there was one stop to make while visiting the region that could give you a real sense of the Alto Adige experience, Terlano is it.”
“From top to bottom, the Terlano portfolio continues to be one of the brightest shining stars within Alto Adige. The Tradition line is priced remarkably well for the value it represents, seeking to provide a pure expression of variety and terroir. Readers can get a very good feel for the region and house style of these crisp, transparent yet wholly satisfying wines. As you work your way up to the Sauvignon Blanc Quarz and Winkl, you’ll find a deep and prestigious expression of the varietal from the first and a younger yet richer and easier drinking one from the latter. The Pinot Bianco Riserva Vorberg seems to be fighting to compete with the best whites of Burgundy. If I had to point out any weak point in the portfolio, it would be the two Lagreins, yet this is splitting hairs as these deep expressions simply don’t communicate their price point to me; that said, I’d never turn down a glass. The real highlight of their portfolio is their Terlaner blends. At the entry level, the Terlaner Cuvée, is a serious wine that over-delivers. The Terlaner range blends Pinot Bianco, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc to varying degrees, starting with the Terlaner Riserva Nova Domus, a showstopper, and then moving up to the Terlaner Grande Cuvée Primo, which can compete with some of the top white wines around the world. How do they age, you might ask? Just take a look at the late release and limited Rarity portfolio (2008 Terlaner and 2009 Terlaner Riserva Nova Domus current vintages). These wines were vinified and refined for one year in large oak before being placed into a steel tank (2,500 liters) and allowed to mature on the lees for ten years or more. In fact, drinking their top wines young is a total disservice to what winemaker Rudi Kofler and his team have created at this bastion of tradition. If there was one stop to make while visiting the region that could give you a real sense of the Alto Adige experience, Terlano is it.”
“The 2020 Chardonnay is wonderfully fresh yet perfumed and fruit-focused, with a pretty bouquet of white smoke and sage giving way to peach skins. Its textures are like pure silk, as this washes across the palate with ripe orchard fruits offset by hints of lemon. The 2020 leaves a staining of minerality, finishing with medium length, savory and spicy. While delicate in feel, this impresses with its purity. Drinking window: 2023-2026. 90 points”
