Winemaker Notes
Bright straw yellow, with a beautiful depth of color. On the nose, very clean notes of pink grapefruit, kiwi and a hint of thyme. Full-bodied, deep and flavorful with an impressively long finish.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
This bottle shows a special 50th anniversary label, making it one of the oldest expression of this grape in the region. The Nals Margreid 2021 Alto Adige Pinot Bianco Sirmian sources its fruit from across 15 hectares in high-altitude vineyards where this grape shows its best results. This is a beautiful expression with a mouthful that is so precise and sharp, the wine almost tastes spicy as a result. Grapefruit, Granny Smith apple and crispy pear cede to light spice and saffron. There's a hint of white peppercorn too.
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James Suckling
This is chewy with dried apple and mango and some lemon peel. Dried peaches, too. Full body with layered fruit and fresh acidity. Some yogurt character as well.
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Wine Spectator
A fresh, mineral-driven white, with a pleasing tension and fine knit to the flavors of patisserie apple, pear and blanched almond. Offers accents of honeycomb, chamomile, lemon peel and ground ginger on the long and creamy finish.
Approachable, aromatic and pleasantly plush on the palate, Pinot Blanc is a white grape variety most associated with the Alsace region of France. Although its heritage is Burgundian, today it is rarely found there and instead thrives throughout central Europe, namely Germany and Austria, where it is known as Weissburgunder and Alto Adige where it is called Pinot Bianco. Interestingly, Pinot Blanc was born out of a mutation of the pink-skinned Pinot Gris. Somm Secret—Chardonnay fans looking to try something new would benefit from giving Pinot Blanc a try.
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.