Winemaker Notes
The aromatics of wild flower, pear and honey are reminiscent of Alsace. Layers of ripe pear, hazelnut, almond and smoke grace the palate and lead to a silky, creamy finish.
Try with mild cheese and rich, spicy seafood.
Professional Ratings
-
Vinous
The 2020 Pinot Bianco Riserva Vorberg is total class. A whiff of sweet smoke and dusty stone gives way to ginger and crushed yellow apple nuances. It envelopes the palate with rich, opulent fruits that coast along a balancing core of brisk, mineral-tinged acidity. The Riserva Vorberg finishes long and potent, yet youthfully backward, as the senses ache under its concentration and a salty flourish slowly tapers off. There is a huge potential, but it will take time for the 2020 to come fully into focus. Bury your bottles deep.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The Cantina Terlano 2020 Alto Adige Terlano Pinot Bianco Riserva Vorberg comes from an incredible site with quartz soils and steep inclines that see mountain temperatures drop immediately at nightfall. The bouquet is not fully neutral but almost, and you get texture on the palate. It exhibits Alpine flowers and slate, and there is slight crunch or bitterness on the close. The acidity is beautifully balanced and woven into the mouthfeel of this wine.
-
Wine Enthusiast
Grown high on the south-facing slopes of Monzoccollo, this is one of the historic wines of Alto Adige. Warm sun gives the wine aromas of ripe apples, baked lemon and honey. Meanwhile, the cool mountain air provides cool, crisp acidity and lifted floral aromas. The palate shows baked pears with honey, a touch of lemon and pressed wildflowers. Ample acidity on the finish showcases how long this wine can age.
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.