Winemaker Notes
Stoan seems almost intentionally crafted to match the exotic flavors of Asian fusion cuisine and is wonderful with dishes like braised halibut in a coconut and lemongrass sauce or caramelized ginger chicken with jasmine rice.
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Layers of fresh cut grass and rose petals interwoven with apricot and lime juice; sumptuous and ample with a mouthwatering acidity, a lithe, delicate texture and an enduring, luscious finish. Beautifully expressive and skillfully blended.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The Cantina Tramin 2021 Alto Adige Stoan is a beautifully executed blend of 65% Chardonnay, 20% Sauvignon Blanc, 10% Pinot Bianco and 5% Gewürztraminer. Despite that small percentage, that last grape leaves its mark on the bouquet, with tropical flowers and hibiscus. The wine ages in large oak cask for 11 months. What works well here is the balance of the wine. Those floral notes are fleshed out with honey, golden apple and almond cookie. This is a real beauty.
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James Suckling
A pretty serious white with subtle sauvignon blanc guava character and a mineral, stony edge to the green bergamot, citrus and apple pith notes. Hints of herbs, too. Medium- to full-bodied palate, showing gastronomic quality, underscored by freshness, purity, elegance and texture.
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Wine & Spirits
Flavors of lemon and green apple meld with tropical notes of kiwi, passion fruit and guava in this juicy white. A blend of chardonnay with sauvignon blanc (20 percent), pinot bianco and gewurztraminer (five percent each), it finishes with black spice notes that lend depth and complexity
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Wine Spectator
This light- to medium-bodied white is initially slim and compact, but it broadens on the palate, displaying a lovely range of patisserie pear, white peach and chive blossom flavors and a refreshing touch of grapefruit granita. Shows vibrant acidity and a subtle tang of salinity that are well-integrated, providing a mouthwatering frame as the flavors linger on the finish.
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Wine Enthusiast
This is heady on the nose, with intense aromatics of peach, apricot, juicy pear, honeysuckle and sweet and savory spices. It’s rich and full in body on the palate, showing tropical fruit notes, rose water and lychee, finishing with the right amount of acidity to balance out the richness in the wine.
With hundreds of white grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended white wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used in white wine blends, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a variety that creates a soft and full-bodied white wine blend, like Chardonnay, would do well combined with one that is more fragrant and naturally high in acidity. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
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.