Winemaker Notes
Clear pale yellow with a slight greenish shimmer. On the nose this classic Pinot Bianco scores with crisp notes of apple and pear mingling with aromas of raspberry and lime, plus a touch of chamomile and lemon grass to round off the composition. Body and balance sum up the wine, which intrigues the palate with the fruit of the pear and quince aromas combined with a salty minerality. The wine tickles the tongue and goes on to deliver a persistent aftertaste.
A good companion with hors d’oeuvres such as salmon and tuna carpaccio.
Vegan Friendly
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Here's a wine to stock in you fridge for easy access when needed. The Cantina Terlano 2021 Alto Adige Weissburgunder Pinot Bianco Tradition (with 190,000 bottles made) delivers a clean and exceptional reason for us to believe in this grape when planted in this mountainous environment. The wine is redolent of lemon mousse and peach, and there is plenty of salty mineral as well. The mouthfeel is semi-rich with a polished and creamy finish. I could drink this every day.
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Wine Enthusiast
If you are looking for a different grape to have in the fridge, grab this Pinot Bianco from Alto Adige. Fresh aromas of green apples and tart cider pears along with fresh white flowers leap out of the glass. The wine highlights the mountain rocks and a touch of alpine herbs on the palate followed by a mixture of various apples and lemon on the finish. This wine is great with a composed salad or a variety of fish dishes.
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James Suckling
An excellent dry pinot blanc that marries invigorating freshness with a fascinating snow-pea and fine green-bean character. You barely feel them directly, but a touch of positive tannin really helps to harmonize this at the very straight and crisp finish.
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Wine Spectator
A bright, snappy white, featuring generous flavors of ripe kiwifruit and melon, with notes of chalk and stone, backed by accents of tangerine peel, jasmine and ground ginger.
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Vinous
The 2021 Pinot Bianco is delicate and understated in the glass, with spring flowers, flint and hints of wet stone forming its bouquet. It flows across the palate with silky textures and medium-bodied weight while delivering a savory mix of orchard fruits and nuances of green citrus. A bitter hint remains as residual acids keep the mouth watering through the saline-tinged finale.
Located in the Dolomite Mountains in the foothills of the Alps, Terlano's distinctive location and extraordinary terroir are key to the development of their stunning, world-renowned wines. Situated in a sheltered hollow, Terlano benefits from an ideal south-facing exposure. Vineyard slopes ranging from 250m-900m ASL provide perfect conditions for the cultivation of grapes, especially Lagrein, a variety that is indigenous to the Alto Adige region. In the vineyard, red porphyry rocks with high mineral content retain the day's warmth, while the porous soil creates an environment with just enough moisture for the roots to extend deeper into this mineral-rich soil. In combination with cool evening temperatures, these factors create wines of incredible depth and potential for aging.
Founded in 1893, Cantina Terlano has grown into one of the leading wine growers' cooperatives in the Alto Adige region of northeastern Italy. With a current membership of 143 growers farming a total area of 165 hectares, Terlano ensures the highest standards of quality by compensating growers for the quality of their grapes not the quantity. The emphasis in the vineyard is on reducing yield in favor of producing more concentrated fruit.
Terlano produces 70 percent white wines and 30 percent red wines, all of them of DOC quality designation. Following a winery renovation in 2009, the cellars now include a total of 18,000m of storage space, which ensures that the wines can develop undisturbed. On the outside, the building has a natural exterior of red porphyry, the stone that gives the wines in the area their typical character. The roof of the winery is planted with vines so that the building blends in completely with the surrounding countryside.
Terlano wines are classified in four distinct quality lines: Tradition, Selection, Rarity and Primo. Terlano wines are famous for their incredible depth and complexity and their stellar reputation continues to make these wines highly sought after both at home and internationally.
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.