Winemaker Notes
Complex, multilayered fruit with aromas of wild berries and cherries, notes of spices and smoky undertones. Beautifully balanced with soft tannins and a long finish.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A release of 5,000 bottles, the 2018 Alto Adige Pinot Noir Riserva Anrar is fresh and light to the palate with wild berry and cassis, followed by dried mint and lavender essence. This steel-fermented, barrique-aged red is silky and smooth with no rough edges. Cantina Andriano (Kellerei Andrian) works with a deft hand when it comes to Pinot Noir, safeguarding the nuanced elegance of the grape's aromas.
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James Suckling
This ambitious Italian pinot noir has plenty of cherry and toasty aromas, wrapped around the fine tannins that elegantly support the medium-full palate. Just beginning to give its best and, with this excellent balance, it should age very gracefully. Long, very silky finish. Drink or hold.
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Wine Spectator
Fragrant with accents of eucalyptus and medicinal herbs, this creamy red is light- to medium-bodied, structured by light, snappy tannins that are well-knit with notes of ripe black cherry and black plum, star anise, tar and tea rose.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
A mountainous northern Italian region heavily influenced by German culture, Trentino-Alto Adige is actually made up of two separate but similar regions: Alto Adige and Trentino.
Trentino, the southern half, is primarily Italian-speaking and largely responsible for the production of non-native, international grapes. There is a significant quantity of Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio and Merlot produced. But Trentino's native and most unique red variety, Teroldego, while still rare, is gaining popularity. It produces a deeply colored red wine rich in wild blackberry, herb, coffee and cocoa.
The rugged terrain of German-speaking Alto Adige (also referred to as Südtirol) focuses on small-scale viticulture, with great value placed on local varieties—though international varieties have been widely planted since the 1800s. Sheltered by the Alps from harsh northerly winds, many of the best vineyards are at extreme altitude but on steep slopes to increase sunlight exposure.
Dominant red varieties include the bold, herbaceous Lagrein and delicate, strawberry-kissed, Schiava, in addition to some Pinot Nero.
The primary white grapes are Pinot grigio, Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay and Pinot blanc, as well as smaller plantings of Sauvignon blanc, Müller Thurgau. These tend to be bright and refreshing with crisp acidity and just the right amount of texture. Some of the highest quality Pinot grigio in Italy is made here.