Winemaker Notes
The Pinot Noir “Ludwig” presents itself with a full ruby red color and with elegant concentration and complexity. Fresh fruit notes of heart cherries and redcurrants as well as the spicy hint of pepper and elegant roasted notes characterize the bouquet. On the palate, the wine unfolds its full power and elegance with gripping tannins, a filigree structure and harmonious interplay between subtle spice and elegant freshness - with inviting length and great aging potential.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A bright, fruity and delicious pinot that has aromas of oranges, vanilla, cumin, cherries and potpourri. It’s medium-bodied, lightly spicy and vibrant, with fine tannins.
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Wine Spectator
Tarry smoke, sweet spice, game and grilled herb notes offer a fragrant, savory underpinning for flavors of baked black cherry and black currant fruit, licorice and cocoa powder. Fresh and focused; though only medium-bodied in weight, this shows length and concentration, with light, taut tannins trimming the finish. Best after 2025. 1,000 cases imported.
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.